


Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

by unpheenix



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin and Obi-Wan are about the same age, Angst and Fluff and Smut, BAMF Obi-Wan Kenobi, Enemies to Lovers, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Jealous Anakin Skywalker, M/M, Obi-Wan is Count Dooku's padawan, Padawan Anakin Skywalker, Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, Pining, Porn With Plot, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Young Obi-Wan Kenobi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:21:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 72,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23975932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unpheenix/pseuds/unpheenix
Summary: Anakin Skywalker was, from his point of view, the best Padawan at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Said to be the "Chosen One" as spoken of in the Jedi Prophecies of old, he had no doubt that he was destined for greatness. His master, and especially the supreme Chancellor, all sung their praise of his uniquely strong force sensitivity and his exceptional skills with a lightsaber. However, when Anakin met the Padawan of his master's master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, he was faced with a man who could not only rival his skills, but knock him on his ass too.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 536
Kudos: 1079





	1. In which Anakin Skywalker meets his master's master and his master's masters very pretty padawan

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I've never written fan fiction before. This is just for funsies and also because I need more padawan Skywalker and Kenobi content

Anakin stood with his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, in the hangar at the Jedi Temple. He didn't know why they were there, only that Qui-Gon said it was a suprise and that he had been especially happy that morning. His masters good days were becoming fewer and fewer since the return of the Sith, so Anakin decided to indulge the old man. Even still, he wasn't particularly well known for his patience and they had been in the hangar for almost an hour now and Anakin had wanted to practice his lightsaber forms before his meditation lessons with Mace Windu. He grimaced. Maybe he'd be able to tag along with Qui-Gon and whoever he was waiting for instead of attending lessons. 

Just when Anakin's impatience was getting the better of him, a lovely solar sailer had entered the hangar, he recognized the design almost immediately and it grabbed his attention long enough for him to forget about his impatience. He had never seen one in person, and was filing through whatever information he could scrounge up on them in the back of his mind, registering a second later that Qui-Gon was making his way over to it. Was the owner of the starship the person they had been waiting for? Maybe he'd be able to ask them if he could have a look at it. Anakin followed after Qui-Gon, standing beside him with his arms folded over his chest.

The boarding ramp was lowered and a tall man with stark white hair and dark eyes exited. He wore black robes with a wine red cape. Anakin quirked a brow at him, having to look up slightly to see his eyes. The man was the same height as Qui-Gon, maybe a taller and definitely taller than Anakin, who hadn't quite finished growing yet. Stepping out behind the older man was a padawan and the first thing Anakin noticed about him was that his master dwarfed him. 

The Padawan was older than Anakin by a few years, and had been a Padawan for a long time judging by the length of his braid, the color was copper and looked like it might be soft to touch. He stood tall with his chin up and his hands clasped tightly behind his back. His eyes seemed to shift between vibrant blue and then a brilliant green in the sunlight. He wore all white robes and tabards, his lightsaber clipped to his belt. Anakin swept his eyes up and down, and then again, before landing on the older padawan's eyes- and oh gods he was looking at him. The older padawan quirked a brow at him, his expression neutral though his lips were drawn in a tight line. His eyes flicked away, offering a curt bow to Qui-Gon who was addressing the older man.

"Master Dooku, it has been too long. Your extended mission in the Outer Rim has gone well?" Qui-Gon asked, clasping Dooku's hand in his and flashing him with a genuine and wide smile.

Master Dooku offered a small smile in return, he seemed tense but his eyes were soft and exuded a great amount of warmth, "It has been a long time hasn't it, my former apprentice. I see you have taken up teaching again?" he asked, nodding to Anakin who squared his shoulders and offered a small bow when he was addressed.

"Indeed," Qui-Gon gestured for Anakin to come closer, "This is Anakin Skywalker. I'm sorry you hadn't had the opportunity to meet him before. Personal comms are difficult to reach so many systems away."

"The fault is not your own, Jinn." Dooku chuckled, smiling to Anakin as he scruitinized him, "Hopefully he is not nearly as much trouble as you were."

"If only." Qui-Gon responded and laughed when Anakin scoffed, "And I see your padawan has grown since the last time I saw him. How are you, Obi-Wan?" 

The older padawan let his eyes flick to Qui-Gon, they had been fixed on Anakin the entire time, "I'm well, Master Jinn. The trip was long. You know how I feel about flying." He said curtly and Anakin frowned. Nobody had a right to speak to his master like that, much less a padawan.

And yet Qui-Gon only smiled, "You've been with Master Dooku too long, you're starting to sound like him." He laughed, and Master Dooku smiled.

"He is an exceptional student, one that I am very proud of." Master Dooku admitted, placing a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder and squeezing lightly.

For the first time since Obi-Wan had stepped off the starship, he smiled, and Anakin's irritation immediately vanished. It was a small thing, tight, a little unfriendly, but the older padawan had dimples and his eyes crinkled slightly when his lips curved. Anakin thought it made him look even younger than he already was, he wondered what Obi-Wan would look like with an actual smile, his brain churning up ideas of what he might sound like laughing, or flustered, and before he could stop it, he felt a blush creeping up his neck and looked away, embarrassed.

"Obi-Wan, why don't you take our luggage to the apartment, yes?" Master Dooku's voice broke Anakin away from his thoughts.

"Yes, master." Obi-Wan said, offering Qui-Gon another bow before he turned back to the boarding ramp.

"Why don't you have Anakin help you?"

Obi-Wan froze and Anakin felt his gut twist in panic, shooting his eyes to his master who was nothing if not serene but Anakin saw the glint in his eyes and knew immediately that his master had picked up on his thoughts through their training bond. Anakin would have cursed at him but before he had the opportunity, Dooku was speaking again.

"That would be most helpful of you, Padawan Skywalker." 

"Ah, of course, I can help." Anakin said, flashing an uneasy smile, before following Obi-Wan up the ramp while their masters shuffled out of the hangar, their voices becoming distant with their long strides.

Anakin was less focused on that now that he was inside the Solar Sailer and he felt himself become giddy when he saw the unfamiliar technology. He desperately wanted to snoop around, take a look at the engines and the navigator but he couldn't do that right now. Not with Obi-Wan, who he realized was staring him down again, nearly causing him to jump out of his skin. Obi-Wan observed him for a moment longer before turning and picking up two of the suitcases and passing them to Anakin. He didn't say a word, picking up the rest of the luggage and nodding for Anakin to go out first. Anakin bit his tongue and didn't say anything. Obi-Wan might have been pretty, but he sure acted like a stone cold sleemo. 

Obi-Wan lead Anakin from the the hangar up to his shared apartment with Master Dooku. It was an older apartment than Anakin and Qui-Gon's and upon entering after Obi-Wan had punched in the passcode, he was assaulted by the musty smell of a space that had not been lived in for a very long time. Obi-Wan pointed Anakin to the master's quarters and Anakin went to set the luggage inside. He looked around the barren room, taking in the tapestries and the sundial that sat near the window. There was an old tea set on the coffee table in the room. Anakin was so absorbed in taking in the space that he hadn't felt Obi-Wan's presence behind him.

"So, you're the so-called Chosen One?" 

Anakin jumped out of his skin for real this time, whipping around to see Obi-Wan watching him curiously. His heart thudded in his chest and he looked down, obviously embarrassed, "That's what Master Jinn says, yea." 

Obi-Wan scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. Anakin looked down at him, taking him in again. He was short, obviously handsome, and obviously not impressed with Anakin. Anakin felt the need to posture at that, standing taller and squaring his shoulders. Obi-Wan quirked a brow at him before turning, "thanks for helping with the luggage. You can go now." He said, sounding cold and distant.

Anakin frowned, a little annoyed but not about to let Obi-Wan look down at him, "Actually, since I'm here and you're here, I was wondering if you'd like to have a quick duel with me." he said evenly, watching Obi-Wan's back.

Obi-Wan didn't turn to face him, instead tossing his padawan braid over his shoulder and beginning to carefully unpack some of the items from the suitcase, placing them on the coffee table in the common room, "And why would I do that?"

"Because I've dueled all the other padawan's here except you, and I've beat every single one of them." 

To his suprise and horror, Obi-Wan laughed. It was a genuine laugh, light and full, and Anakin felt his face become hot when Obi-Wan turned to face him, leveling him with an exasperated look.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, and Anakin thought he might have ascended to the cosmic force at how his name rolled off Obi-wan's lips, "You would never be able to beat me in a lightsaber duel. I'm untouchable." he said it so confidently that Anakin would have accepted it, except Anakin was looking for a challenge and an excuse not to go to meditation, so he met Obi-Wan's eyes with a smirk.

"I don't believe you." He taunted, lazily taking his own lightsaber out, tossing it between his hands, "I've been told my lightsaber skills match the likes of Master Windu."

Obi-Wan watched him for a long moment and slowly, a grin crept across his face, "You know I've beat Master Windu in a lightsaber duel before, don't you?"

Anakin's eyebrows shot up, "Bantha shit, I don't believe you."

Obi-Wan kept watching him though, he rose to his feet in one fluid motion, almost like a loth cat, and took several steps over until he invaded Anakin's space, looking up to Anakin's eyes like he was searching for something, "Why don't you go ask him?"

Anakin felt hot and he wanted to back away but didn't want Obi-Wan to feel like he was winning, so instead he stuck his chin out and looked down at him, "I'd rather find out from you personally." He said, willing his voice not to shake.

Obi-Wan watched him, seeming to notice the blush that was undoubtedly scorching Anakin's cheeks. His eyes glinted dangerously, "What's in it for me?"

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked, maybe to quickly, and this time he did step back.

Obi-Wan shrugged, offering a harmless smile, but his eyes were like daggers, "I mean, if I beat you, what will I get? It seems only fair that I get something, you know, especially if you want to do this right now. I did have a long trip." He said easily, his voice honey sweet and positively dripping, Anakin thought his knees might give out.

"Whatever you want." Anakin squeaked, his eyes darting away, "And if I win?" he asked.

Obi-Wan's grin widened dangerously, the corners of his eyes crinkling, and Anakin thought he looked something particularly wolfish, "Whatever you want. But you're not going to win, so don't get your hopes up." 

Anakin swallowed, "Deal."


	2. in which Anakin gets in way over his head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin and Obi-Wan clash in more ways than one, both padawan's exceptional duelists and force wielders, only one is light-years ahead in training. This time the story is taken from Obi-Wan's point of view.

Obi-Wan hadn't been back to the Jedi temple on Coruscant in almost eight years. He and his master had been sent on a long term mission off somehwere in the middle of kriffing nowhere. The people he had been around were most uncivilized and he was hoping for some decency upon his return, but it was just his luck that Jinn had a padawan and that padawan wanted to make Obi-Wan's life tedious and miserable.

Upon seeing the famed Anakin Skywalker for the first time, Obi-Wan had to be careful about his expression. Anakin was tall, all golden skin and dusty blond hair, he looked like one of the statues of the gods of the old republic. Not only that, but Anakin was practically blinding. He was so incredibly bright in the force that Obi-Wan had almost flinched when he stepped off the ramp. Almost. Despite his obviously good looks, Obi-Wan had already decided on their way there that he didn't like Anakin. Much like Qui-Gon Jinn, the boy was a maverick and known to cause trouble around the temple. He had overheard from Master Yoda over the static on a long distance comm that this Anakin Skywalker was deeply attached to his mother, that the only reason he had been accepted into the order was because Qui-Gon had insisted the boy was the prophecized chosen one.

He sounds more like pathetic life form to me, Obi-Wan had thought, bracing himself when he and Master Dooku had arrived at the hangar bay. He was at least pleased that Dooku was just about as impressed by Anakin as he was, but Dooku was known for being cold at first. What Obi-Wan didn't count on was his master having Anakin help him with the luggage, not that he minded, he was tired and didn't want to make two trips, but he also wanted to sleep and shower and be alone after being trapped in the cramped Solar Sailer. He would get to do none of those things as he and Anakin made their way down to one of the numerous training rooms in the temple.

Obi-Wan hadn't had a proper duel since he beat Mace Windu before he and Dooku left on their mission. It had shocked everyone, even himself, but he had chalked it up to Master Windu going easy on him. The Master with the purple saber had always liked Obi-Wan, and if he didn't have a padawan of his own at the time, he had said he would have taken Obi-Wan as his padawan without question. Of course, he did have a padawan at the time, and nobody else seemed to think Obi-Wan would make a good student. He kicked himself now thinking about it, how he had been such a trouble maker that they almost sent him off to the agricorps. He met Master Dooku and Master Jinn while they were in the archives, looking at some holocrons with Jacosta Nu. Obi-Wan had wanted to have a look at the holocron of destiny one more time before he was supposed to be shipped off, ruefully hoping that maybe there was some destiny about a farmer.

Master Dooku and Master Jinn had noticed him going through the holocron and had joined him. They were friendly enough, kind, and when Master Dooku asked if Obi-wan had been taken as a padawan, and Obi-Wan had said no, Master Dooku had offered it to him on the spot. Obi-Wan felt like he ascended to the cosmic force when Master Dooku had asked him to be his apprentice and Obi-Wan was determined to make it worth Master Dooku's time. He slowly broke from being rebellious and hard headed and stubborn, eating up whatever it was that Master Dooku decided to teach him. They spent as many hours lightsaber training as they did with the holocrons in the archive. Two years into his apprenticeship, he had mastered Soresu and was intermediate in Ataru. The other padawan's were dazzled by him, but Obi-Wan never let it go to his head. Master Dooku was sure to keep him humble and he wasn't one to bite off more than he could chew if his master had anything to do with it. 

Now he was with Anakin in one of the training rooms and forcing himself not to be too confident. You don't know what style he uses, he's strong in the force, but has he mastered any forms? Will his fighting style be like Master Jinn's? He had been scrutinizing Anakin since he had first seen him, picking apart the best way to take him down. Obi-Wan had decided he was too tall to use Ataru and obviously too impatient to keep up with the first three forms. So it was either Djem So or Vapaad and he would have bet his lightsaber that Master Windu or Master Billaba wouldn't have allowed him to practice Vapaad. Djem So it was. 

He stripped out of his tabards and outer tunics, folding them neatly and setting them off to the side of the training room. He noticed that Anakin had been watching him and quirked a brow, causing the younger padawan to immediately turn away, face red and obviously hot as he tore away his tunics and tossed them to the side. So uncivilized. Obi-Wan began going through his stretches, feeling the pull of his muscles, he grimaced slightly. Maybe he shouldn't have made that bet with Anakin, who no doubt was more interested in lightsaber combat than holocrons. But then again, he allowed himself a small smirk, feeling the rush he had always felt before he engaged in combat, Anakin was completely off balance.

Obi-Wan had noticed it in the hangar and especially in his apartment. Anakin Skywalker was anything but subtle, and his cheeks were easily painted red with minimal effort on Obi-Wan's part. He finished stretching, taking his lightsaber in hand and igniting it, twirling it around as he watched Anakin hastily go through his stretches. The familiar hum of his lightsaber grounded him in the moment, remembering the basic moves used in Djem So, but he didn't hinge his victory on the chance that that would be the style Anakin went with. He could use Makashi, he had told himself, or Master Windu could have been generous and willing to teach him Vapaad. He doubted that. From what he could tell, Anakin was much like how he used to be. Except Anakin was too tall to be the same willful age Obi-Wan had been. He continued to twirl his lightsaber as Anakin finished up his stretches and called his saber to his hand with the force.

"Improper use of the force." Obi-Wan chided and Anakin sneered at him.

"So what?" Anakin asked, igniting his blade. It was blue like Obi-Wan's and crackled with some unseen energy. The training room quickly began to buzz as their force signatures collided, their duel had begun the moment they set foot in the training room.

"Ah ah, be careful." Obi-Wan swung his saber down then up, snaring Anakin between the two fingers of his outstretched arm. He grinned wolfishly, "That kind of thinking will lead you to the dark side."

Anakin gritted his teeth, swinging his saber into the ready position of Djem So. Obi-Wan had been right but didn't have time to congratulate himself, as Anakin was on him in an instant. Off balance and reckless as he swung his saber down in hard fast hits. Obi-Wan could count the moves as he was pushed to the corner of the matt, he was strong, but he lacked control. Obi-Wan thought he might have been fighting a youngling. 

Should I go easy on him, he thought as he parried one of Anakin's attacks before pushing him back hard with the force, causing the taller boy to stumble.

No, he grinned, swinging his saber lazily, I don't think I will.

With unmatched speed he was on him, one two three, block, one two, block, and repeat. Hard, fast, unrelenting, he was playing offense with a defensive form and Anakin hadn't been expecting it, losing his footing, but the moment he picked up on the pattern he met Obi-Wan blow for blow and tried pushing him back again but this time he wouldn't be so lucky. Obi-Wan stepped out of the way, causing Anakin to over correct, stumbling forward and rolling back up into a crouch, eying Obi-Wan and snarling. Obi-Wan tutted softly, swinging his blade again.

"Come now," Obi-Wan smiled, swinging his blade back up into the ready position, "Surely you can do better." 

Anakin roared and met him again, their saber's meeting in blinding light. They had attracted a curious crowd of on lookers, all whispering excitedly as they danced around the room, the blades hot and buzzing with energy. Their force signatures mingled together curiously, and Obi-Wan was able to pick up Anakin's surface thoughts, mostly along the lines of Kriff Kark Kark Kriff as Obi-Wan began anticipating his blows and pushing him back again, slowly gaining ground. While Anakin had probably intended to take Obi-Wan out quickly with the powerful blows he had started off with, Obi-Wan could go for hours with Soresu. He had warned Anakin that he was untouchable, hadn't he? Of course the younger padawan hadn't taken him seriously. He was slowing down, his movements stilted and his form sloppy, and Obi-Wan decided now was a good time to change tactics.

Leaping into the air and behind Anakin, Obi-Wan began his assault as the other whipped around and stumbled back. Fast hits, too fast, and he was in the air again, seeming to take Aanakin from all sides, catching his opponents saber just so and with a fast twirl, Anakin's lightsaber slipped from his hand and Obi-Wan took the opportunity to sweep Anakin's feet out from under him. Anakin landed hard on his back, blinking up at Obi-Wan who had his lightsaber dangerously close to his throat. He was breathing hard, his chest heaving and he looked both frustrated and impressed. Obi-Wan wasn't winded at all, he carefully flipped his padawan braid over his shoulder, watching him.

"Yield."

"No."

His saber moved closer and he saw Anakin's eyes widen slightly, the crackle of his lightsaber a little too close for comfort.

"Yield." Obi-Wan repeated, this time a bit sterner than before and felt the fear in the force around him, followed by something else that Obi-Wan realized was unfiltered rage.

"Fine." Anakin bit out, gritting his teeth, "I yield."

Obi-Wan disengaged his lightsaber, hooking it to his belt as he looked down to Anakin. He looked good like this, Obi-Wan decided, on his back and out of fight. The older padawan offered Anakin his hand and Anakin threw him an accusatory look before taking it and allowing himself to be pulled up. he was a bit wobbly on his feet and Obi-Wan braced him, trying not to gag at the sweat that dampened Anakin's clothes and dripped off him in buckets, but Anakin pushed him away and begrudgingly swept up his lightsaber, clipping it to his belt before going to grab his disgarded tunics. Their audience thinned out, leaving only a little togruta girl in the balcony, standing on her toes to watch them. Obi-Wan caught sight of her and watched her duck down before peaking back up. Obi-Wan offered a small smile, doing a dramatic bow and the girl grinned, giggling softly before Master Plo was behind her, sweeping her up and taking her away much to her protest.

Obi-Wan returned his attention to Anakin as he finished folding his tunics into a pile and making his way to the exit. Obi-Wan quirked his brow, So he's a sore loser, too, and before he knew it he was alone in the training room. He was caught in a wave of exhaustion, the high from their duel slipping away almost immediately as he gathered his tunics and made his way back through the halls.

Serve's him right, Obi-Wan thought, punching in the code to his apartment door. He heard the shower from Master Dooku's suite before he headed to his own. He desperately wanted to just fall into bed and go to sleep but he knew he should wait and wash the grime off himself before he did that. He felt his mind wandering through the temple, picking up on everyone's periphery thoughts. He could sense Anakin still, like a dark bubble of pent up rage just waiting to explode and leak everywhere. Obi-Wan frowned, tentatively reaching out to it while carefully shielding himself. He felt himself become suddenly cold, gripped by the dark side of the force. He shuddered, quickly pushing the presence out of his mind and standing, tossing his robes into the hamper as he went to the wash room. 

####

Karking Sithspit. 

Anakin sulked into his apartment, Master Jinn was there on one of the sofa's reading from a datapad. He looked up when Anakin had entered, quirking a brow at him in question, but Anakin was in a foul mood and didn't feel like talking at the moment. At least Master Jinn knew better than to try and force it out of him. He went into his room and let the door close, tempted to slam it but he didn't want Master Jinn to worry. It didn't help that half the temple decided to watch his duel with Obi-Wan. He couldn't believe it. He really let himself be baited into attacking recklessly, all while Obi-Wan laughed at him from behind his seaglass eyes. Anakin gritted his teeth and chucked his lightsaber against the wall, breathing hard. He could feel the force pushing against him, whispering at him, and he tried desperately to get a handle on it, but it was too much. It felt like he was drowning as he held his head and fell into a crouch when there was a soft knock on his door.

"Anakin, what's wrong?" Qui-Gon sounded worried, and Anakin's rage quickly fell away to despair and exhaustion.

"Sorry master, I didn't mean to be projecting so much." Anakin muttered, rubbing his hands down his face and willing himself not to cry. Tough guys don't cry freely and he felt like he already cried too much. 

"Was it something Master Windu said?" Qui-Gon asked softly and Anakin's once despair turned to panic.

Kriff, he forgot about the meditation, karking sithspit kriffing bantha shit. 

"Anakin." Qui-Gon's voice was a bit sterner now, still laced with worry.

"No, Master, I'm sorry." Anakin managed meekly, "I just. I need to center myself, I'm off balance." He squeaked out, he could feel the dark side churning within him, all forbidden promises of taking what was his and forcing Obi-Wan down. Forcing him to submit.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Qui-Gon asked, still standing outside Anakin's door.

"No, master, I'll be fine." Anakin tried to sound fine, but it wasn't nearly as convincing as he wanted it to be.

Qui-Gon either decided to let it go for him or give up because he sighed and left the door. It left a pit at the center of Anakin's stomach and he curled in on himself. Don't cry don't cry don't cry don't cry, and he's crying. Great. He shuddered softly, wiping the hot tears from his face. It made him feel better at least, letting the tension leak out of him slowly as he stayed on the floor of his room. Everything was too loud and he wanted desperately to shut off his brain, but he couldn't do that. After a moment, he scrubbed his eyes dry and stood up shakily, fishing his commlink out from his tunics and sending a message to the chancellors office. He knew Chancellor Palpatine might be busy but he needed to get away from the temple. Within a few minutes, Chancellor Palpatine responded inviting him over to the senate building. Relief flooded through Anakin and he took a quick shower, pulled on his civilian clothes, and slipped out the window of his room. 

Anakin arrived at the senate building and made his way up to the Chancellor's office, knocking twice before he heard the older gentleman's voice inviting him in. The door's slid open and he walked into the garish red and black room of the Chancellor's office. He remembered, distantly, that the Chancellor had said that red was the color of passion and black the color of power. He would be lying if he said that his choice in tunics hadn't been influenced by the Chancellor's words. He wanted to look powerful and intimidating. 

Chancellor Palpatine stood up from behind his desk and moved over to greet him, clapping his shoulder with a steady hand, "My dear boy, you seemed so troubled I decided to clear the afternoon so that we could speak." He said, offering Anakin a smile.

Anakin returned the smile with one of his own, "Thank you, your excellency, but you didn't have to do that on my account."

"On the contrary, my boy, I would clear my entire calender if it meant I could have more time to see you." The chancellor said with a wheezy laugh, "Come come, why don't you sit. Would you like some tea or caf?"

Anakin relaxed as Chancellor Palpatine ushered him to one of the luxurious sofa's, sending a droid to fetch some refreshments. Anakin had almost forgot he had been so worked up, but Chancellor Palpatine fixed him with a concerned look.

"You sounded so urgent on the comm, my boy, is everything alright?" He asked, settling on the sofa opposite to Anakin.

Anakin shifted slightly, hesitating, but he didn't have any reason to lie to the Chancellor. They were good friends, after all.

"There's this... Padawan at the temple," Anakin said, his expression twisted slightly as the darkside purred within him, he could feel the threatening tendrils of his anger, but he forced them down, not wanting to lash out in front of the Chancellor, "He showed up out of nowhere, thinking he's better than everyone else, then decided to play me for a fool in front of everyone in a duel." Anakin bit out. He wasn't lying, necessarily. It was true, from a certain point of view.

The Chancellor's eyes knitted together and he wore a rather troubled expression, "My dear boy, I'm sorry that had happened to you." He said honestly, taking one of the cups that the droid had brought them. Anakin took the other one, holding it tightly in his hands.

"That other padawan should be sorry too, you know. He should know better to challenge you, you're an extraordinary force wielder and I'm sure if they had played fairly you would have won without doubt." The Chancellor said, leaving no room for question in his statement.

Anakin smiled, taking in the praise and letting his shoulders relax minutely, "I know. I'll show him just what he's dealing with the next time we duel."

Chancellor Palpatine returned his smile, bringing his cup of tea to his lips, "I'm sure you will, my boy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two already! I also have a tumblr under the same name if you would like to see some of my star wars art. This fic will update frequently so sit tight.


	3. in which Anakin has many many regret's and feels bad

"Where in Sith hells have you been?" 

Anakin flinched at Qui-Gon's voice. It was well after Temple curfew and very well after Qui-Gon's usual bed time. Anakin had snuck back to the temple and in through his window only to find Qui-Gon waiting for him in his room, arms crossed tightly over his chest and eyes hard. His face was pinched in annoyance as Anakin stumbled to find his words, awkwardly shutting the window he had just crawled through. He cleared his throat, turning to face his master with as much dignity as he could muster.

"I was at the Senate Building." Anakin tried casually, wanting to shrink away into the abyssal darkness of his room as Qui-Gon stared down on him.

"And what were you doing there?" his master asked, and Anakin could tell he was becoming increasingly exasperated with his attitude.

"What else would I be doing there? I was seeing the chancellor." Anakin snapped and immediately regretted it, Qui-Gon's mouth twisting into a scowl as his arms tightened around himself. He looked rather menacing, standing in the soft glow of the door way, his blue eyes looking dark and endless.

Qui-Gon turned abruptly, "You're grounded."

"What?"

"No lightsaber training, no podracing, you're to stay at the temple for the rest of the week. I'll be gone on a mission and won't be back for a few days. While I'm gone, I expect you to study the holocrons. I have two assignments I want you to complete and I will know if you pawn them off to Aalya so don't try it." Qui-Gon said, leaving Anakin to stand alone in his room as the door hissed shut behind him.

Anakin clenched and unclenched his fists. It wasn't fair. It was all Obi-Wan's fault that this had happened. He wished he hadn't come back and before he could stop himself he was chucking his lightsaber at the wall again and roaring in frustration.

When Anakin awoke the next morning, Qui-Gon had left on his mission. There was a a flimsi left on the counter of their kitchenette with instructions for his assignments that he would have to complete. Anakin grumbled as he read over the the assignments details: Two essays, one detailing the history of the Jedi Knights during the Old Republic and the other a study on force connections formed between sentient and non sentient species. Anakin grimaced. He couldn't believe Master Jinn had given him homework.

He was tempted to crumple the paper up and throw it in the waste bin when he noticed there was more writing on the other side.

Next time you decide to run away, please tell me where you are going. I was worried about you - Master Jinn

Anakin felt his heart sink to the bottom of his gut. He really was an awful padawan. Begrudgingly, he put the flimsi back on the counter and went to the refresher to get himself ready. He looked at himself, noticing the bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep he had gotten that night. He frowned, splashing his face with some water before frustratingly banging his fist against the mirror, quickly backing away and rubbing his hand. For a moment he thought his eyes had flashed a molten gold. That couldn't be right. He shook his head, deciding that it was just his mind playing tricks on him, he dressed and went to start his day. 

It was at this point that he remembered his duel from yesterday and was immediately bombarded by a group of crechelings asking him what it was like to spar against Obi-Wan and if they would be able to watch him duel Obi-Wan again. Anakin tried not to seem embarrassed, he really did, but it was hard when an assortment of alien and human younglings were clammering for a dramatic retelling, especially the one's who hadn't been there. 

"So, Padawan Kenobi and I are in the training room, right? And I attack immediately because I'm not a coward, and we're toe to toe for awhile. He manages to get me off balance but I roll back up all cool like and go at him again, but this guy decides to change his tune and goes from using Soresu-" 

"That's form three!" One of the youngling says knowingly.

Anakin nods, "-Yes, but he goes from using Soresu to using Ataru and he's flying all over the room like Master Yoda. Before I know it he's got me down on the matt, but you know, switching forms is kinda like cheating so I think I'm calling it a tie because he cheated."

The crechelings continue their curious assault before their clan leader hurries them down the hall, telling them they'd have time to ask Padawan Skywalker all about it during the temples communal meal. Anakin watched them walk away, feeling slightly better after being around their high energy, he turned to continue down to the archives, his least favorite place in the entirety of the Jedi Temple. He would literally rather be anywhere else than here. There were several other padawans, a couple younglings and maybe one knight hanging around and Anakin chose to be as far away from them as possible. Moving to one of the more secluded corners, he took out the piece of flimsi and a datapad before seeking out one of the holocrons of history and getting to work.

While researching holocron's wasn't nearly as entertaining as fixing droids or starships, it was better than being forced to meditate which he was honestly grateful that Master Jinn hadn't said anything about meditating. He had already been guilt tripped into actually doing boring research, meditating would have been Anakin's specially designed method of torture that would drive him entirely up the wall. Whenever Anakin become immersed in what he was doing, however, his ability to percieve the things around him practically dropped to nothing, so when he heard the tap of the stylus pen in front of him, and looked up into the sea green eyes of one Padawan learner Obi-Wan Kenobi, he jumped out of his skin for the second time in the span of two days.

"What are you doing here?" Anakin hissed, his shoulders drawn up and his muscles tight.

"I live here." Obi-Wan returned flatly despite his lilting voice.

"I mean what are you doing in the archives?" Anakin clarified, trying to keep his voice down when he saw Jocasta Nu staring at him from across the room like he had defaced one of the tapestries on the wall.

"Am I not allowed in the archives now?" Obi-Wan asked, slipping into the seat across from Anakin gracefully and raising his brows at him, "I wanted to talk to you. First, about lying to crechelings and telling them that I had cheated."

Anakin felt his stomach jump to his throat and he swallowed thickly, "Oh, you heard about that?"

"I was teaching them basics today, so yes. I did hear about that, as you so eloquently put it." Obi-Wan's voice was dripping again, it made panic rise in Anakin's force signature and he looked down, hot with shame and embarrassment.

"Second," Anakin flicked his eyes up to meet Obi-Wan's when he heard the older padawan speak, "You owe me. Because whether or not you want to admit it, I did beat you, and we made a deal." he sat forward in his chair, staring strait into Anakin's soul.

Anakin swallowed again, willing himself to calm down and not freak out or get angry or just, do anything that was rash and ill advised in the moment. "Um, so- you see I want- I would like to honor our deal or whatever," he tried but Obi-Wan cut him off by reaching out and catching Anakin's padawan braid, giving it a hard tug.

"Anakin Skywalker," He said, his voice hard with contempt, "You don't get to lie to crechelings, call me a cheater, and back out on our deal. What would your master say?" he asked, almost mockingly but his voice was hushed. If he was any louder, Jocasta Nu might have sniped him from the other side of the archive.

Anakin swallowed again, his face hot, his eyes flicking to where Obi-Wan held his padawan braid. It was hot. This was hot. Put your dick away, he told himself, sucking in a deep breath and carefully meeting Obi-Wan's eyes. He had been so angry, so insolent, that he had totally forgotten just what a force of nature Obi-Wan truly was. He was having flashbacks too their duel, how Obi-Wan had seemed a step ahead of him every time, how he was angry that Obi-Wan had put him on his back but impressed at the same time. The arousal of having Obi-Wan standing over him with his saber inches away from his throat. And this was no different, and he couldn't keep looking Obi-Wan in the eyes, opting instead to look down again.

"Master Jinn doesn't know about this and he isn't happy with me right now." He said quietly, shifting awkwardly in his seat.

That seemed to take Obi-Wan back a bit and he let go of Anakin's padawan braid. He sat back in his chair, scruitinizing him, and Anakin could definitely see the resemblence in Master Dooku when he looked at him like that. Like master like padawan, he thought, holding his breath and waiting for Obi-Wan to say something, anything.

Instead Obi-Wan just kept observing him, tapping his stylus pen on the table as he thought before he finally heaved a sigh, "you are the single most frustrating being I have ever met."

Anakin blinked at him, his face still splotchy red as he watched Obi-Wan stand up and leaving him there, sauntering his way out of the archives and offering a quick apology to Jocasta who looked like she might beat him with her lightsaber hilt. Anakin looked back down at his datapad and the holocron. He felt awful, he hadn't felt this awful since he had left his mother on Tattoine. Obi-Wan seemed to have a unique talent of making him feel every emotion under the sun in the span of a few seconds, leaving him completely drained and exhausted. Deciding he couldn't focus on the rest of his research, he returned the holocron, collected his things, and returned to the upper levels of the Jedi temple.

###

Anakin hadn't eaten anything all day and had skipped the communal dinner in fear of running into the crechelings. So now he was hungry, starving almost, and scrounging around in the cupboards of the kitchenette in his apartment. Of course, the only thing that had been well stocked was an assortment of Qui-Gon's teas from all across the galaxy and one moldy rationbar that was probably older than Anakin. He held it in his hand, debating if it was worth it. He decided it wasn't, tossing the rationbar into the waste bin. He wondered if he could chance sneaking into the dining hall for something to eat, maybe some meiroolum. He stood in the kitchen for a moment, debating, before deciding it was worth the risk and sneaking out of his apartment.

It was just passed curfew at the Temple, and at this point only the noctornal species of Jedi were out and about. Some of them offered nods to Anakin which he returned, others didn't seem to notice him at all. He had found that most of the nocturnal Jedi came in two categories, completely spacey out of it and frighteningly alert, like razor blades to the eyes alert. Anakin snuck around the temple, making his way to the dining hall when he passed by one of the training rooms. He felt Obi-Wan's presence and paused outside the door to the observation balcony. His stomach growled in protest when he decided to take a peak, quietly pushing open the door and sneaking onto the balcony. What was Obi-Wan doing out passed curfew?

Anakin peaked over the edge of the balcony, feeling like a crecheling, and nearly felt himself become one with the cosmic force. Obi-Wan was on the training matt, he wasn't wearing his tunics, dressed only in his leggins as he went through katas for Makashi and then Soresu, followed by Ataru. Lithe and light on his feet, Anakin felt his heart thumping in his chest. Maybe he was ashamed about having lost to Obi-Wan, angry that he wasn't strong enough to beat him, but watching the older padawan now, he was mostly just impressed at the pure amount of control Obi-Wan had over his body.

Obi-Wan's back was covered in freckles and scars, and he had a tattoo on his right forearm and on his right ribcage. He recognized the tattoo on his ribs was written in aurabesh but he couldn't tell exactly what it said, Obi-Wan was moving too fast and he was too far away for Anakin to stare at it long enough to figure it out. Speaking of staring, Obi-Wan had stopped moving and Anakin realized he was looking directly at him.

"You're projecting very loudly, you know that, right?" Obi-Wan asked, not caring to suppress the annoyance in his voice.

Called out, Anakin stood up and leaned over the balcony, "I'm very sorry, I didn't mean to break your concentration."

"Control your insolence." Obi-Wan snapped at him, his voice curt and his eyes sharp.

Anakin flinched and rubbed the back of his neck. Coming to a conclusion, though it might have been a stupid conclusion, he hopped down from the balcony and landed softly on his feet in front of Obi-Wan. He stood tall, resisting the urge to posture when Obi-Wan looked him up and down, entirely unimpressed. This was a stupid idea, he told himself, but willed the thought away and dug around for the courage to say the words he knew he should say even if it hurt his pride.

"Look," he sighed out heavily, dropping his shoulders, "I'm sorry about before."

Obi-Wan quirked a brow at him, "Like that makes it all better." He said, turning away and picking up his tunics.

"Let me make it up to you," Anakin said hastily. He wasn't used to being rejected, especially when he apologized. Qui-Gon had always accepted his apologies, so had the creche leaders and even Master Windu if he said it sincerely enough, "the deal. I'll do it."

Obi-Wan paused for a moment, folding his tunic over his arm. He didn't turn to face Anakin but he was listening which Anakin decided was as good as it was going to get, "Whatever you want, I'll honor it." 

Anakin held his breath, waiting for Obi-Wan to reply. He hadn't expected this to be so hard, and he really wished Qui-Gon had been there. He had pushed his master away and had regretted it. As close as he was with the chancellor, he didn't think the chancellor would be able to help him with Obi-Wan, in fact, he was pretty sure the chancellor hated Obi-Wan after all the bantha shit he had said about him. He was realizing in this moment that he had a lot of regret's and his thoughts were so jumbled that he jumped out of his skin for the third time, when Obi-Wan was suddenly facing him and invading his space. Anakin realized, slightly belatedly, that he must have been using the force to do that.

Obi-Wan lifted his hand and took grabbed Anakin's padawan braid, searching Anakin's eyes before he gave it a rather mean tug.

"Echuta!" He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth when the Huttese obsenity fell off his lips. He hadn't spoken Huttese out loud in awhile, but he always fell back on it if he was caught off guard.

Obi-Wan quirked a brow, watching him. Anakin came to the epiphany that that Obi-Wan was very close, only half dressed, and very very hot. Close up, Anakin realized he had freckles that lightly spotted his face, his eyelashes were a gingery blond and reminded him of angel wings. Obi-Wan Kenobi was incredibly pretty and he damn well knew it too, his lips curving into a grin and his eyes crinkling when he saw how flushed Anakin was.

"Anything I want?" Obi-Wan asked, almost sounding distant, he twirled Anakin's padawan braid between his fingers before letting the braid drop, pressing a hand on Anakin's chest, flicking his eyes up to watch Anakin's and oh gods, this wasn't happening right now was it? Oh gods oh gods oh gods, kark kriffing sithspit and bantha shit-

"You're projecting again." Obi-Wan's lilting voice snapped Anakin out of this thoughts and he looked back down to the older padawan, face becoming impossibly more red with embarrassment that made a flash of anger spike up from within him. He didn't know whether or not he wanted to fuck or fight Obi-Wan at this point. 

Obi-Wan tutted, taking his hand off Anakin and picking up the rest of his tunics, along with his sash and belt, he returned his attention to Anakin who was looking down at his boots, face red, he looked like a mess probably because he was a mess. He moved to rub the back of his neck again, glancing up at Obi-Wan who had fixed him in a stare before turning.

"1000. At the archive entrance. Wear civilian clothes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy May the Fourth!


	4. in which Anakin and Obi-Wan sneak out of the temple and go to a shady lower level bar

It was 0955, and the Jedi Temple seemed fast asleep. Anakin lurked near the entrance of the temple archive, adjusting the dark brown utility vest he wore over his civilian clothes, a black shirt and dark red pants tucked into his Jedi boots. He figured the boots could stay, since they weren't nearly as recognizable as his tunics. He wondered what Obi-Wan would have him do, leaning against the wall and folding his arms over his chest. The way he spoke in the training room and the way he invaded Anakin's space, tugging his padawan braid like a forbidden promise, made him believe they might break the code that night if he got lucky. But Obi-Wan was full of surprises, and he didn't expect tonight to be any different. 

Anakin noticed a shadow move along the hall and swiftly raised his shields, cloaking himself in the darkness around him. He held his breath, not daring to make a sound until he saw Obi-Wan emerge from around the corner, and then he was gasping at the sight of him. Obi-Wan could look good in anything, he had decided, but he looked especially good in the dark blue jacket he wore, coupled with a white shirt and a pair of slim black plants. The jacket was a Mandalorian style, which Anakin thought was a little odd. Mandalore was a neutral system in the midrim and Mandalorians weren't known for liking Jedi. Obi-Wan scanned the entrance and Anakin realized he was still shielding himself and quickly lowered his defenses, stepping into the low light of the hall. Obi-Wan's eyes landed on him and he quirked a brow.

"That's what your wearing?" He asked teasingly and Anakin blushed, clenching his fists at his sides.

"Got a problem with it?" He bit out, trying to keep his anger in check. He didn't want to get into any more trouble with Qui-Gon and brawling in front of the archives would probably result in his master denouncing him as his padawan and shipping him off to the agricorps. Anakin didn't think he would make a good farmer.

"Mm," Obi-Wan looked him up and down, and Anakin tried to stand up a bit taller, causing Obi-Wan to chuckle, "no, it looks good." 

Anakin felt his posturing buckle and his cheeks were painted a blotchy red. He looked away from Obi-Wan who continued to watch him, amused. Anakin shifted slightly on his heels, flicking his eyes up to meet Obi-Wan's seemingly knowing gaze and only making himself more flustered. For some reason, Obi-Wan had been gifted with the extraordinary talent of making him feel like a youngling. He wanted desperately to do... something. Anything, for kriffs sake, and as the force began to churn and twist around him he felt a hand on his chest.

"Hey," Obi-Wan's voice soothed, "I'm not trying to pick a fight with you. Relax." He said, and pushed a wave of calm at Anakin through the force that made the younger padawan's shoulders drop. Obi-Wan was both incredibly infuriating and also incredibly disarming, and it made Anakin's head spin trying to get a grip on it.

"Sure doesn't look that way to me." Anakin choked out and Obi-Wan gave him an exasperated look.

"Anakin," the way it sounded made him sway a bit, "not everyone is out to get you, least of all myself, at least at the moment." 

Anakin bit his lip, watching as Obi-Wan moved his hand to pull at Anakin's padawan braid, "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

Anakin carefully took Obi-Wan's hand off of his braid, he noticed, idly, that his hands were well calloused from years of lightsaber training. Or combat, the idea flashed in the back of his mind, but that was absurd. What could Obi-Wan have been doing which meant he had to engage in combat so frequently? And then he remembered the scars on Obi-Wan's back and felt gut twist. Just what exactly was Obi-Wan doing on his extended mission with his master? Where had he been all those years away from the temple?

"Pulling at my braid, that's what." Anakin managed, remembering just how perceptive Obi-Wan was to projecting emotions and promptly trying to keep his thoughts in check.

Obi-Wan hummed, pulling his hand away from Anakin's, "Oh... I don't know... Just something I do." He murmured, and for a moment Anakin thought he looked rather sad.

"But that's not important right now. Come on, we have to get moving." Obi-Wan said, the moment of weakness vanishing as he began making his way down the hall. Anakin had to scramble to catch up to him.

"And where exactly are we going?" Anakin asked in slight panic.

"Gods, Anakin, where do you think?" Obi-Wan asked, tossing him a look over his shoulder, "We're going to the lower levels."

Anakin stopped at that, remembering Qui-Gon's instructions to stay at the temple, "I can't."

Obi-Wan stopped as well and turned to face him, looking more than a little annoyed, "Didn't you say you would do whatever I wanted?" he asked, quirking a brow at him and Anakin bit his lip again.

"I did, but Master Jinn told me not to leave the temple while he was gone." Anakin countered. He wanted to be honorable and keep up his end of the deal, but he also wanted to do what Qui-Gon told him to since he had already kriffed up so bad.

"Wow, I didn't take you for a goody two shoes, was I wrong?" Obi-Wan asked sarcastically, flipping his braid over his shoulder and eyeing Anakin mischievously.

"He's already mad at me, I don't want to make him more mad." Anakin tried feebly.

Obi-Wan watched him for a moment before once again stepping into Anakin's space, something he seemed to like doing, either because it made him seem more intimidating or because it made Anakin get all hot. Anakin didn't know the difference, swallowing as he looked down to him.

"Anakin, Jinn isn't here right now." Obi-Wan said in a hushed voice, and Anakin felt himself falling, he felt Obi-Wan's force signature brush up against him, asking to be let in, "but I am. I'm right in front of you." 

Anakin parted his lips, overcome with a sudden wave of warmth and calm that made him feel dizzy, he nodded weakly, "Okay, okay." He mumbled, pushing back against Obi-Wan's force signature, "Let's just- let's go."

Obi-Wan grinned at him and with that, they began sneaking their way out of the temple and on to the busy streets of Coruscant.

### 

Obi-Wan was trying to decipher what exactly Anakin had thought they were going to do when he'd asked him to wear civilian clothes and meet near one of the only exits that wasn't heavily guarded by the Jedi knights. Civilian clothes meant being with civilian people, which meant sneaking out. He did feel somewhat sorry for Anakin, however. The younger padawan seemed so conflicted about disobeying his master, which had surprised him. From what Obi-Wan could tell, Anakin wasn't one to walk the strait and narrow, if Master Jinn's complaining about him said anything about it. 

He had been studying one of the holocron's while Master Dooku was preparing dinner when Master Jinn had come to their apartment in a blind panic. Apparently, Anakin had snuck out of his room and had been gone for a very long time. It was just before curfew and Master Jinn was debating on going out to look for him, but Master Dooku managed to talk him down and the other master ended up staying for dinner. Obi-Wan had been good friends with Master Jinn for some time, despite disagreeing on a multitude of things, like the council and the will of the force, but other than that, they tolerated each other just fine. When Master Jinn said that Anakin had come back to the apartment upset and then had disappeared, Obi-Wan couldn't believe Anakin's blatant show of disrespected towards his master.

He couldn't imagine talking back to Master Dooku, though Master Dooku wasn't necessarily his friend, they were close as master and apprentice. That being said, if Master Dooku asked Obi-Wan a question, he would answer it, even if he didn't want to. Master Dooku had made it clear to Obi-Wan that he wouldn't tolerate disobedience, disrespect, or rebellion in any sort of capacity. Of course, that made Obi-Wan particularly good at faking all of those things. He didn't like lying, but he wasn't opposed to half truths, and he also wasn't opposed to disobeying Master Dooku if he thought he could get away with it. Which lead him to doing things like sneaking out after Master Dooku had gone to bed, which was quite early because his master was an elderly gentleman, and also doing pretty much whatever he wanted so long as he didn't get caught. Anakin, evidently, wasn't good at not getting caught. 

Obi-Wan had learned later from Master Dooku that Anakin had snuck out to see the supreme chancellor, which alarmed Obi-Wan more than he was willing to admit. _Anakin was friends with that old creep?_ He only had vague memories of the chancellor from when the politician was a senator representing Naboo, and even then, Chancellor Palpatine had rubbed Obi-Wan the wrong way. He was too nice, too humble, and seemed to be keeping plenty of secrets. He wondered if one of those secrets was grooming young and impressionable boys, and the thought of it made Obi-Wan sick. After learning about Anakin's friendship with the Chancellor, Obi-Wan had made it his mission to get the younger padawan as far away from Palpatine as possible. Which meant tolerating the human disaster that was Anakin Skywalker.

As they made their way onto the street, he noticed that Anakin was fidgeting, looking around nervously. He had obviously snuck out before, so Obi-Wan could only guess that his unease must have something to do with Jinn telling him he couldn't leave the temple. Normally, he would honor Master Jinn's wishes, but he figured if they were careful and didn't get caught, they wouldn't have anything to worry about. They just had to make they weren't spotted by anyone who might recognize him and get word back to the temple, which meant avoiding the Jedi knights who were stationed all around Coruscant, tracking criminal activity and keeping the peace.

Obi-Wan led Anakin through the busy streets before getting to one of the floating platforms that would descend them to the lower levels. He flicked his eyes over to Anakin to make sure he was okay. The younger padawan seemed to be doing much better now that they were further away from the temple. He was looking around curiously, observing the people and places around them as they went down. Obi-Wan kept quiet for the most part, paying attention to what level they were at so they didn't accidentally go too far down and end up having to fight their way back up to the surface. Not that Obi-Wan would mind a good fight.

"So now that we're here, do you mind telling me where we're going?" Anakin's voice invaded Obi-Wan's thoughts.

"We're going to the Outlander Club. It's a few thousand levels down so we've got some time."

"Ah, and, what exactly are we doing there?"

Obi-Wan forced himself not to roll his eyes. Was Anakin really this dense? "Getting wasted, hopefully, and you're going to pay for all of it."

"What? Why do I have to do that?" Anakin asked, scowling at Obi-Wan in a way that might be intimidating when he got older, but right now just made him look especially petulant.

"Because winners don't buy losers drinks." Obi-Wan responded, offering him a smirk which made Anakin huff, his cheeks turning that splotchy red color as he looked away.

At first, Obi-Wan had thought his blush was just simple embarrassment, but after their duel he came to the realization that it was more along the lines of arousal. Which wasn't surprising, at least not to Obi-Wan. He knew he was attractive and it also helped that Anakin wasn't bad looking either. In fact, Anakin was the epitome of what Obi-Wan found attractive in men. All tall, tan, and lean muscled with a chiseled jaw and droopy blue eyes. But his personality left something to be desired. Perhaps some part of him wanted to have Anakin put out for him as his reward but he also didn't want to push anything like that on him, especially since Anakin was barely an adult, having just turned 18 according to Master Jinn. Though, if Anakin decided to try and sleep with him, and the circumstances were right, he wasn't going to stop him. So long as he kept his mouth shut. 

"Have you ever been down this far?" Obi-Wan asked, pushing the thought of sex to the back of his mind where it could ruminate without being picked up on by Anakin.

"Oh yea, the chancellor and I go to level 5671 all the time." Anakin responded, obviously not paying attention to Obi-Wan periphery thoughts.

His answer sent Obi-Wan reeling all the same. He went on day trips to the lower levels? With the chancellor? Obi-Wan frowned, looking to Anakin with concern. Anakin seemed to trust the chancellor way too much, enough to run away from the Temple just to go talk to him. From what Master Jinn had said, the chancellor had taken a special interest in Anakin ever since he was brought to the temple. He had insisted on spending time with Anakin alone, without the other Jedi or his master, and that knowledge in particular made Obi-Wan's stomach flip.

_"Why didn't you say no?" He remembered asking over dinner, listening to Jinn sob about how he failed to be a better mentor for his padawan._

_"One cannot simply say 'no' to the supreme chancellor, Obi-Wan."_ Master Dooku had reprimanded, giving him a look that Obi-Wan knew meant he wasn't meant to ask questions or share his opinion when the adults were talking. Obi-Wan resented him for that.

"You seem to spend an awful lot of time with the chancellor." Obi-Wan said casually, feigning disinterest.

"He's a good mentor and friend of mine. He helped me adjust when I first moved to Coruscant and we've kept in touch since." Anakin spoke freely. He must have gotten this question often if he answered it so easily. Obi-Wan decided he would have to speak to the council about that.

"Right..." Obi-Wan looked away from him, swallowed by his thoughts.

Not much later, they had reached their destination and exited off the floating platform and onto the street. Obi-Wan was sure to keep Anakin nearby, even if he had gone to the lower levels before, he was sure Anakin hadn't ever been down there by himself and wasn't about to leave him unsupervised. They headed down the main street, looking at the neon lights and glass billboards that were illuminated with dazzling colors and flashy headlines. Obi-Wan breathed in the oily scent around them. It resurfaced memories, memories that he wanted to forget. If he drank enough tonight, he thought idly, he would forget. 

They finally reached the Outlander Club and stepped inside. The bar and lounge buzzed with energy, there were droid sports being played on the screen in the corner. Obi-Wan took in his surroundings out of habit, scanning the room for hostiles. Anakin stood beside him, looking around like an excited youngling, taking in the strange beings who passed them by. Once Obi-Wan was certain that they would be relatively safe, he made his way to the bar. First things first. Twi'lek liquor. He ordered two shots and offered one to Anakin who was still looking around the bar, entranced by the force around them. Anakin saw the glass and furrowed his brows, taking it carefully into his hand and sniffing it uncertainly.

"What is this?" Anakin asked, flicking his eyes up to Obi-Wan who watched him with mild amusement.

"This is twi'lek liquor. Have you had it before?" Obi-Wan asked, leaning against the bar and quirking a brow at him.

"No. I've never had any liquor before." Anakin admitted, looking down at the shot glass and seeming rather nervous.

Obi-Wan snorted, "It's good, trust me." He raised his glass to Anakin and Anakin awkwardly mirrored him, tilting his head.

Obi-Wan knocked back the shot, letting it burn down his throat he shook his head a bit. It had been a long time and he had missed the burn. Anakin followed suit, though he gagged a bit when the liquor went down his throat. Obi-Wan couldn't help but grin, snickering lightly and Anakin threw him an accusing look. He waved off Anakin's expression, going and order two more drinks, this time something lighter and gesturing for Anakin to go sit at one of the tables off in the corner of the bar. Once he had their drinks, Obi-Wan went and joined him.

A couple drinks in and Obi-Wan discovered that not only had Anakin never had liquor before, he had apparently never had any sort of alcohol and thus, was more than a light weight when in came to drinking. Obi-Wan ordered him some food to help him soak up the alcohol, looking around the bar as he sipped from his glass. While on his mission with Master Dooku he wasn't allowed to indulge in clubbing and alcohol as much as he'd like to. When Dooku did allow him to drink, it was usually a glass of red wine, and usually not enough to get him plastered like he wanted. Sneaking out on unfamiliar planets was especially risky and as thrilling as it was, getting his ass kicked by Dooku later was not his idea of a good time. That wasn't to say he didn't take any risks, and he definitely knew how to have a good time.

He felt something warm leaning against him and glanced over to Anakin who had finished whatever the waiter had dropped off for him to devour. He looked a bit out of it and Obi-Wan was going to push him off but thought that that wasn't the best thing to do at the moment. He adjusted his position and put his arm around Anakin, who's eyes flicked up to him curiously. Obi-Wan watched him, tilting his head.

"How are you doing, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, studying Anakin's face. He had intended to go out and mingle with the crowd, but upon discovering that Anakin hadn't ever really done this before, he didn't think it would be smart to leave him alone at the table and resolved instead to babysit him for a little while. At least until he sobered up enough to watch after himself.

"I'm doing pretty good, warm though..." Anakin slurred, his eyes still focused on Obi-Wan's face, "You're really pretty."

Obi-Wan blinked, quirking a brow, "Am I now?"

"Yea, you're totally hot." the younger padawan said confidently, and Obi-Wan scoffed.

"And here I thought you didn't like me, Anakin." Obi-Wan said, watching Anakin's face bloom red with embarrassment.

"No, I like you, I like looking at you." Anakin stumbled over his words, slurring a bit as he sat up straighter now.

Obi-Wan watched him, lifting his chin slightly and so he could look down on his companion. Anakin was flushed, maybe from the alcohol, maybe from something else, but it made the blue of his eyes seem richer and the pink of his lips seem fuller. Obi-Wan hesitated for a moment before moving his hand up Anakin's shoulder and onto his neck, watching him shudder a bit as his eyes fluttered close. Obi-Wan was reminded, temporarily, of the way Anakin had looked with his back pressed flat against the training mat, his curls sweaty and mussed. Obi-Wan tentatively gave the back of Anakin's neck a slight squeezed and he quirked a brow at the sound it illicit from him before he decided this was too much and they were too close.

He went to move his arm off Anakin but Anakin pressed closer into him, a questioning look in his eye.

"You don't have to stop," he said in a hush, "I don't want you to stop."

Obi-Wan bit his lip, wondering if he had accidentally been projecting. He pressed a hand to Anakin's chest and pushed him back gently, "Anakin, you're not yourself right now. I need you to think about this."

"I have thought about it." Anakin returned, looking to Obi-Wan's hand and furrowing his brows, "Please? I'll do whatever you want." He teased.

"I don't think you'd be able to do what I want." the words left Obi-Wan's mouth before he could stop them and Anakin seemed to take it as a challenge.

"Why don't you find out yourself?"

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to bring Anakin out here tonight, but right now the other was pressed up against him, warm and his words full of promise. Obi-Wan considered him for a moment, exercising an immense amount of control in not just crashing their lips together and giving Anakin what he wanted. He realized, to his shock, that he had given into Anakin rather easily up until this point. Had given in when Anakin wanted to duel, had given in when Anakin apologized, had given in when Anakin wanted to make it up to him. For all his control, he seemed to be letting it slip around Anakin, and it he didn't think that was a good look for the Jedi temples "perfect padawan." Though right now nobody knew who they were. They were just two kids in some shady underground bar on Coruscant, and if nobody expected Obi-Wan to be the perfect Jedi padawan, he decided he could bend the rules a bit.

So he gave in, grabbing Anakin's jaw and tugging him closer, pressing a kiss to his lips. Anakin was projecting so loudly, all his thoughts funnelling into a singular yes yes yes. Obi-Wan felt Anakin move and opened his eyes to watch Anakin attempt to straddle him. Anakin's eyes flicked up to Obi-Wan's and the older padawan placed his calloused hands on Anakin's shoulders before moving them down his arms and letting them rest on Anakin's thighs once the younger man had settled in his lap. He got the feeling that Anakin had no idea what he was doing, causing his gears to grind to a hault and fix Anakin with a look.

"Why, Anakin," he drawled, patting Anakin's thigh and keeping his eyes fixed on the younger mans face, "this is very forward of you."

"Is it okay? Am I okay?" Anakin asked quickly, seeming to realize the compromising position he had put himself in and the sudden panic that was projected into the force eclipsed his initial confidence.

"You're okay, Anakin." Obi-Wan assured, shushing him and making an attempt to reign in what was happening. Anakin was drunk. He was inexperienced. He hadn't realized what he was doing. Obi-Wan came to the conclusion that this was not a good idea, and that he should stop this before it got any worse.

But Anakin relaxed in his lap, his face flushed and his body hot and there was a need in his eyes that Obi-Wan could definitely do something about but he found himself not wanting to. Not here, not like this. That being said, however, he now had to do damage control, and that included getting Anakin off him so that they could leave. Anakin looked vulnerable sitting on his lap, leaning back a little to fidget with his hands in front of him. Obi-Wan didn't want to hurt his feelings, and judging by the way Anakin's eyes seemed to mist over slightly, if he didn't play his cards right Anakin might fall apart on him.

Obi-Wan leaned forward a bit, brushing his lips against Anakin's and feeling the tremor that it caused shake the younger man's body, "You're okay, Anakin," he promised, "but we can't do this right now. Not here." 

Anakin shuddered a little bit and Obi-Wan heard him swallow, "Can we do it somewhere else?" he asked.

"Somewhere else and later." Obi-Wan said firmly, making sure to look at Anakin's eyes as he gently patted his thigh, "But right now, we need to pay our tab and get back to the temple before someone notices we're gone."

That someone being Master Dooku. Early to bed, early to rise, which was fine, but meant Master Dooku would be waking up in a couple hours and even though this operation was his idea, he wasn't going let it get him in trouble if he could help it. Luckily, Anakin seemed to get the picture, nodding a little and slipping off Obi-Wan's lap. They finished their drinks and paid the tab and stumbled their way out onto the street. Obi-Wan was sure to steady Anakin when he felt a familiar presence brush up against him.

"Hey there, Kenobi, looking good."

Obi-Wan turned and was met with the especially cheeky grin of Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos.

Kriffing sithspit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four chapters for May the Fourth!


	5. in which Anakin does a very bad thing

Quinlan Vos was a maverick, and wherever Obi-Wan went he seemed to attract the "Jedi Code more like Jedi Suggestion" types. Quinlan had been knighted nearly two years ago. Obi-Wan had met him while the young knight was on his first solo mission on some planet in the Teth system. His instructions from the Jedi Council were to rendevouz with Master Dooku and Obi-Wan so that they could handle a squirmish between the Hutt's and a gang of pirates. The mission had almost failed because of Quinlan's reckless antics, but thankfully Master Dooku had managed to salveage the negotiations. That didn't mean Quinlan was off the hook, however, as Dooku had immediately informed the council about the knights actions. Quinlan would have to return to Coruscant the next day but had been ordered to stay with Master Dooku and Obi-Wan until his departure. That meant Obi-Wan had to share his already cramped quarters with the kriffar Jedi, and that ended unsurprisingly with them sharing a bed and having sex. 

Obi-Wan regretted it after it had happened and was regretting it even more now that they were both here, standing outside of the Outlander Club, with Anakin of all people. This was not how he wanted his night to go.

"Quinlan... It's been awhile." He finally responded, making sure to keep his grip tight on Anakin's arm so the younger padawan didn't wander away from him.

"Two years, actually." Quinlan returned, hands on his hips as he squared his shoulders and swept his eyes up and down Obi-Wan's body, "But it looks like you haven't changed at all."

Obi-Wan felt himself tense under Quinlan's gaze, he could feel the others force signature still lightly poking at him, asking to be let in. He didn't like being caged in and scrutinized like this, but he couldn't do much about it right now. Quinlan was petty and if he didn't play his cards right he had no doubt that the Jedi knight would report them to the Council, which meant reporting to Dooku and Qui-Gon, two things that Obi-Wan, under no circumstance could let happen. Not after he forced Anakin to go out with him while he was on house arrest.

"It seems like you have, though. I like what you've done with your hair, though I do miss the undercut." Obi-Wan drawled, willing himself to relax his shoulders and lift his chin up so he wasn't looking up at the older Jedi so much. 

Quinlan flashed him a smile, all teeth and good humor, but his eyes flicked to Anakin and he nodded to him, "I see you're busy tonight?"

"Not at all, though I do have to get back to the Temple soon." Obi-Wan said, ignoring the sudden cold spike in Anakin's force signature.

"Right. If I remember correctly, Padawan's aren't suppose to be out passed curfew without their masters." Quinlan took a step forward, but Obi-Wan held his position, not about to shrink away. He knew from experience that Quin liked a challenge.

"Please, like you've never been out past curfew." Obi-Wan managed, noticing that Anakin was starting to tense up. He glanced to the younger padawan and noticed that his eyes had a mean slant to them, his brows furrowed and his lips drawn tight. Not good. 

"You're not wrong, Kenobi, but unlike you, I didn't get caught." He was now invading Obi-Wan's space, forcing Obi-Wan to look up to him. A grin touched Quinlan's lips as he leaned down so that he was nose to nose with him, "You look like you're in a hurry. Should I escort you back to the temple?" He asked, reaching out to touch Obi-Wan's cheek.

It happened too fast. Obi-Wan felt Anakin move beside him, losing grip on his arm as the younger padawan put himself between Obi-Wan and Quinlan. Anakin was tall for his age, about the same height as Quin, so it wasn't hard for him to match the others obvious bravado. Quin didn't like that too much though, his face twisting into a sneer as he quirked a brow at the younger padawan.

"Back off." Anakin bit out, "We don't need you to escort us anywhere."

"Well I was just going to leave you here." Quinlan said, eyeing Anakin from head to toe, "You're not nearly as pretty as he is, after all."

Those were fighting words and Anakin was quick anger. Obi-Wan knew that and quickly pulled Anakin back.

"We never really met eye to eye on many things, did we Quinlan?" Obi-Wan smoothed over, squeezing Anakin's shoulder when the younger man shot him an angry look.

Quinlan's brows shot up at that, "Oh, so you are busy then?"

"No, I'm not. He lost a bet and bought me a drink. We're heading back to the temple now." Obi-Wan smoothed over, still squeezing Anakin's arm.

"Then let me escort you back." Quinlan said, folding his arms across his broad chest, "After all, I'm pretty sure Padawan Skywalker isn't supposed to be outside Temple bounds right now. He's on house arrest. That's double disobedience." 

Obi-Wan glanced to Anakin, whose signature churned oily and dark, and he was overcome by a sudden chill in the force around him.

"Listen, Quin..." Obi-Wan tried, carefully relaxing his shoulders and glancing up to the Jedi knight with a look full of promise, "Not tonight." 

Quinlan watched him for a moment, glancing up to Anakin, whose face had twisted dark and dangerous, then back down to Obi-Wan; "Promise?"

Obi-Wan nodded and with that, Quinlan let them go, disappearing into the crowded street. Obi-Wan lead Anakin to the floating platforms, the entire time he felt suffocated by the force that surrounded him. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. He glanced to the younger padawan who he found to be staring at him, his eyes dark and stormy. Obi-Wan flinched at it. He didn't expect Anakin to look so mean.

"What was that about?" Anakin finally asked, his voice tight.

"It was a long time ago." Obi-Wan said, "And it doesn't matter. It's not like we're together, Anakin." 

Wrong choice of words, apparently, because Anakin turned to him with a snarl on his lip; "Doesn't matter? You brought me all the way down here and something like that doesn't matter?"

"Anakin." Obi-Wan snapped, "Do you hear yourself right now? You and I are nothing, least of all that. What I do in my own time is none of your concern." 

Anakin scoffed, "So this is what you do in your free time? Put out like some common whore?"

That hit Obi-Wan hard in the gut and he felt the anger bubble up inside him, meeting Anakin's oily darkness with his own.

"What I do," He said coldly, leveling Anakin with a hard stare, "Is none of your concern."

Anakin didn't seem to agree, the dark side of the force falling down on them like a bucket of cold water, settling at their feet. Obi-Wan had decided that this was a bad idea when they were in the club. He should have never brought Anakin out here. He should never have agreed to duel with him. He should have been more careful. He supposed he had been selfish, wanting to appease the younger padawan, but he didn't expect this. Obi-Wan thought, rather distantly, of Master Yoda's words about Anakin. 

_"Attached he is, to his mother. In him, great anger, fear, and sadness, there is. Lead to the dark side, these attachments and feelings will." ___

__Had Anakin become attached to him in such a short amount of time? The prospect sent him reeling, scrambling desperately for purchase as he felt the others force signature suddenly assault him, wrapping around him and constricting him in a way that made him gasp for breath._ _

__"I can't believe I let you lead me on." Anakin bit out angrily, "I should of known, of course that's something that you would do. This is all your fault!" he hissed and flung Obi-Wan hard into one of the buildings with a slap in the force._ _

__When Obi-Wan hit the wall, his breath left him in a painful gasp. He coughed weakly, the pain from the impact making him feel lightheaded and dizzy. He looked up slightly to see Anakin looking down on him with molten gold eyes but before he could process what was going on, Quinlan was there and Anakin was on the ground convulsing with the sudden shock of a stun blast. He saw Quinlan approaching him and crouching down before his vision went black and he was dropped into oblivion._ _

__###_ _

__Anakin woke suddenly in his room and immediately wretched onto the floor beside his bed. There was shuffling outside his door, he heard it hiss open and the heavy footfall of his master quickly approaching._ _

__"Anakin, Anakin are you alright?"_ _

__He didn't get a chance to respond as unconsciousness took him once more. In his dreams, a pair of molten eyes watched him, a delighted cackle echoed in the walls of his mind. The dark side of the force was strong here, stronger than anything he had felt before in his life, and it swaddled him in a thick blanket of hatred and malice. He remembered seeing the fear on Obi-Wan's face when he slammed the older padawan into the wall, watched the blood drip from his lips. _It's what he deserved, my boy, it was his fault after all. _Anakin tried thrashing away in the darkness, but he was completely stiff and unable to move. He felt the eyes glow brighter the cackle echo louder the voice taking on a vicious tone; _This is what you are, my boy, a powerful Sith you will become. _The dream faded from his mind and Anakin was left adrift in the darkness._____ _

______When he awoke the second time, he was still in his bed, but now his master sat beside him worriedly. Master Yoda was there as well, a troubled look in his eyes. Anakin made an attempt to sit up but his chest hurt and his throat was raw. His head swam and he felt dizzy, he couldn't stop the room from spinning. He felt his master place a hand gently onto his forehead, and the fog was lifted. Anakin blinked once, twice, feeling proper thought and reasoning return to him. The moment it did, he felt a wave of panic overtake him. Obi-wan. He had hurt Obi-Wan, had let his anger get the better of him, had thrown the older padawan into the wall. He remembered the blood and groaned, feeling suddenly sick to his stomach that had been emptied earlier. He knew nothing would come up if he tried to wretch it out, even so, the churning in his stomach was anything but pleasant._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Anakin, what happened? You've been unconscious for almost a week." Qui-Gon's voice was etched in worry, his brows knit together and his voice wavering._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Where's Obi-Wan?" was the only thing Anakin could think to respond with._ _ _ _ _ _

______Qui-Gon and Yoda exchanged a weary look, before Yoda responded; "Resting, Padawan Kenobi is, in the Halls of Healing. Suffered many injuries, he did, when he had provoked you."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Anakin blinked once, twice, "Provoked me?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Do you not remember?" Qui-Gon asked wearily, "Obi-Wan said he forced you to go out with him to the lower levels after you had lost a bet with him. He said that while you were heading back to the temple, he had provoked you into getting into an argument and it escalated to violence."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Lucky, he is, that Knight Vos was nearby. Able to stop the altercation, he was." Yoda added, tapping his grimer stick on the floor._ _ _ _ _ _

______"What, no, that's not..." Anakin tried feebly. Obi-Wan had covered for him. Obi-Wan had taken the fall. He felt his stomach churn suddenly and he rolled over, vomiting bile onto the floor beside his bed._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Reprimanded, he will be, once he has properly recovered from his injuries. His fate, the Council will decide." Yoda said, nodding to Qui-Gon as he left Anakin's room. The soft patter of his feet growing distant as he walked down the temple halls._ _ _ _ _ _

______Qui-Gon sat quietly, his hands folded in his lap as he watched Anakin wearily. He stood up and went to the kitchen, returning with a glass of cold water. He helped Anakin sit up and offered him the glass; "What happened, Anakin?" he asked quietly, "I'm sorry, but, I cannot believe that Obi-Wan had provoked you as he said. Master Dooku said it was entirely out of character for him."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Anakin took a long gulp of the water, coughing when the liquid touched his scratchy throat. He sat back, closing his eyes, "No, that's- It didn't... It didn't happen like that." Anakin said softly, "We were out and it was fine, but that Vos guy showed up and- I don't know what came over me, master, but I got angry, and..." he remembered calling Obi-Wan a whore and his gut twisted, "I got angry, and I attacked him, it's not his fault. It's mine. He shouldn't be punished for my mistake." he managed feebly._ _ _ _ _ _

______His master was quiet for a long time, collecting his thoughts. Finally, he let out a long sigh, "Thank you, Anakin." He said softly, smiling wearily to him, "I can see that you're being honest. Unfortunately, Knight Vos seems to remember events differently."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Anakin shot up in bed and instantly regretted it, a slew of curses falling off his lips as the pain in his ribs stabbed into him; "What? What did he say?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"He said the exact same thing that Obi-Wan said."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"That karking sleemo!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Anakin." Qui-Gon chided, giving him a look, and he instantly recoiled at the reprimand, "That is what he said. Even if Master Dooku doesn't believe it, there isn't much evidence to say otherwise, and it's the word of a knight against yours."_ _ _ _ _ _

______With that, Qui-Gon stood up, taking the now empty glass and turning to leave the room._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Wait, master!" Anakin called, feeling himself become dizzy again._ _ _ _ _ _

______Qui-Gon turned to look at him, quirking his brow expectantly._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Let me talk to the council, it's not- it's not Obi-Wan's fault. It's not fair for him to be punished, let me talk to the council-"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"There's nothing we can do about it, Anakin." Qui-Gon said softly and he looked to Anakin with a pained expression before leaving him alone._ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Anakin. You can find me on tumblr under the same username!


	6. in which Master Windu is tired of this motherf*cking drama in his motherf*cking temple

It had been two days since Anakin had woken up, a week since he and Obi-Wan had gone to the lower levels. During his recovery, he was forced to go to meditation lessons with Master Windu twice a day and he was forbidden from lightsaber practice, much to his shagrin. After his lesson Master Windu pulled him aside as they other padawans filtered out, whispering as they passed by them. Anakin didn't feel any particular way about Master Windu. He was an excellent Jedi, a member of the Jedi Council, and a patient teacher. Though the Chancellor seemed to think Master Windu was classist, seeing as the Jedi Master refused to indulge Anakin in his desire to learn Vapaad or even Juyo, and Anakin agreed with the Chancellor on that front. He felt that Master Windu had always looked down on him, since he had come into the Order so much later than other Jedi. That his attachments would make being a Jedi difficult for him. Master Windu hadn't been wrong, of course. Anakin was well known for holding too tightly to things that he shouldn't. Even so, when Master Windu looked to him with an expression of concern and understanding, it made Anakin feel rather guilty. Ever since he had woken up, people have looked at him with nothing but pity.

"I see you're recovering well, Padawan Skywalker." Master Windu commented, his dark eyes scrutinizing him under this brow bone. 

Anakin shifted uncomfortably, "Yes, Master, it's not like I had been hurt." He said, folding his arms over his chest.

"Even so, you were unconscious for a few days. Healer Che had told us that she felt strong dark side energy within you. As if you had been swallowed by it." Master Windu said carefully, his voice and expression neutral.

That made Anakin frown, "Why did no one tell me this?" he demanded, his heart thudding in in his chest. He remembered, briefly, seeing himself in the mirror. The golden eyes that had stared back at him

_A powerful Sith you will become._

The voice echoed in the back of Anakin's mind and he forced himself not to shudder.

Master Windu kept observing him, leaning forward slightly making Anakin want to shrink away into nothing, "We had thought it would have upset you. It seems that we were right." then the master sighed and leaned back, rubbing a hand down his face, "Master Jinn had informed me that you wish to speak to the Council regarding what had happened with Obi-Wan. He said that you remembered differently from Knight Vos and Padawan Kenobi. Is this true?"

Anakin was surprised by the question. He hadn't expected Master Windu to seek him out and hear it from him personally. He shifted again, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his gut; "Yes, that's true. I don't want to say Obi- I mean, Padawan Kenobi, had lied, but. I remember things very differently." 

"Would you elaborate for me?" Master Windu asked, sounding tense.

Anakin gritted his teeth and began recounting the events. He started first with how he challenged Obi-Wan to a duel, which made Master Windu's face flicker with amusement.

"What?" He had asked.

"Oh, nothing. You do know that Padawan Kenobi defeated me in a duel eight years ago, don't you?"

Anakin's face had gone hot, "He might have mentioned it."

He continued recounting the events that had taken place after that. How he had lost the duel, how he had gotten in trouble with Qui-Gon for sneaking out to see the Chancellor- Master Windu frowned when he told him that, Qui-Gon hadn't mentioned where he had gone to Windu or the Council it seemed- how he was put on house arrest. How Obi-Wan convinced him to sneak out with him and go to the lower levels. Then he remembered that he and Obi-Wan had kissed. He decided not to tell Master Windu about that. Or anything regarding their encounter with the baser instincts. He did mention Quinlan and how he had approached them, how he acted like he wanted something from Obi-Wan but Obi-Wan wouldn't give it to him. It still made his angry, the darkness within him stirred at the thought, but he pushed it down in favor of not looking like a fool in front of his master. His tale ended with how he used the force against Obi-Wan, not because he had been prevoked, but because he had just been angry.

Master Windu waited patiently for him to finish and when he was done he looked up long and thoughtful. Collecting his thoughts he returned his gaze to Anakin, a frown on his dark face, "I see. That sounds much more likely than what Knight Vos had told us." 

"And what did Knight Vos tell you?" Anakin asked, his nose scrunching slightly as he tried to hide his distaste. Quinlan himself was not a bad person, in fact, Anakin thought he was pretty cool for being an older Jedi. Unfortunately, he didn't like the way he had touched Obi-Wan, gotten close to him, especially when Anakin had been right. Kriffing. There.

Master Windu seemed to debate whether or not Anakin had the right to know such things. Luckily for Anakin, it seemed this time was the exception, "Knight Vos told the council that he caught Obi-Wan sneaking out of a bar and dragging you along with him. He said that you had seemed very drunk compared to Obi-Wan and that when he offered to escort you both back to the temple, Obi-Wan had refused. He tailed you both to the platform and witnessed you use the force on Obi-Wan. He said Obi-Wan had initiated the encounter." 

In the back of his mind, Anakin seethed, rage uncoiling inside him like a waking dragon. "Is that so?" he pushed out, offering a tight smile, "Well, I was with Obi-Wan the whole time, so I think I remember it a bit better than he does."

Master Windu watched him, then nodded slowly, "I concur, Anakin, but you were drunk according to Knight Vos and we did find alcohol in your system when you and Obi-wan were brought back to the temple. Not to mention, Padawan Kenobi had agreed with the statement Knight Vos had made."

Anakin's brows shot up, "Wait, he didn't make a statement himself?"

"No, he listened to Knight Vos' account and agreed that the statement had been accurate."

Anakin deflated, rubbing his face, "I'm sorry, master, I know I shouldn't get angry over these things."

Master Windu nodded, "Be mindful, Padawan Skywalker, of your emotions. Padawan Kenobi should be finished healing soon. We will discuss this in greater detail before the council, with all parties present. You are dismissed."

Master Windu left Anakin in the meditation room. He felt sick to his stomach, looking down at the toes of his boots. Obi-Wan hadn't even tried to fight for his case? He had just accepted Knight Vos' statement without rebuke? His mind swam with too many thoughts as he exited the room, closing the door softly behind him. He felt a presence behind him as he began to walk down the hall and quickly turned around, staring directly into the cold dark eyes of Master Dooku.

Anakin swallowed the spit the suddenly gathered in his mouth, "Master Dooku." He greeted, his shoulders drawn up, his voice tense.

Master Dooku looked down at him, his expression bore none of the warmth from their first encountering, "Skywalker." He returned, "I do hope you know that you've made a grave mistake in the actions you had taken against my padawan."

Anakin blinked, "Sir?"

"I can't say I know what had transpired between you two," Master Dooku continued, his hands clasped tightly behind his back, "Jinn seems to think that neither you nor Obi-Wan are at fault in this case. I think differently. My padawan would never be so obtuse. Sneaking out of the temple after curfew? He has done this. Having a few drinks? He has done this. Engaging in an altercation in the middle of a busy platform in the lower levels of coruscant? Unthinkable. Unimaginable. He would never do such a thing." Master Dooku tilted his chin up, "I don't believe what Knight Vos has told me. Jinn tells me that it was more of an accident on your behalf. But that still places the fault with you."

For a moment, Anakin thought he saw Master Dooku's eyes glint a familiar gold. He must have imagined it, he told himself. 

"Master Dooku, with all due respect," Anakin said carefully, there was a tremor in the force, and the hallway had suddenly become icy cold, and he saw Master Dooku's expression darken.

Before he could react a sudden jolt of electricity shot through his nerves and he landed on the ground, convulsing. Master Dooku looked down on his writhing form, unfazed, "If you respect me, Skywalker," his tone was viscious and seething with hate, "You will keep your mouth shut." With that, Master Dooku walked over him and disappeared down the hall.

Anakin was left on the floor, breathing heavily. His brain felt like it had been scrambled. What was that? He hadn't seen or felt anything like it before. It was as if Master Dooku had produced lightning at the tips of his fingers and directed it strait to his heart. Anakin rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He felt a dangerous thought creeping into his head; It's all his fault. It's all Obi-Wan's fault. He shook his head quickly and rubbed his hands down his face. If it was all Obi-Wan's fault, then he should have just accepted Quinlan's statement and moved on with his life. Unfortunately the statement had been inaccurate and he felt incredibly guilty about everything. He was starting to notice that he had a lot of regrets these days. Getting to his feet, he looked down the hall in the direction that Master Dooku had gone. The cold still lingered around him.

###

This was a stupid idea. Granted, it was a stupid idea that Qui-Gon had endorsed. He patted the tin of tea that Qui-Gon had given him in the pouch on his utility belt as he snuck around the temple in the dead of night. One would think that after how many problems he had sneaking around after curfew, he would take the hint and not sneak around after curfew. But this was the only time he knew that he'd be able to get into the Halls of Healing without Healer Che body slamming him into the wall. She was just about as intense as Jocasta Nu when it came to restrictions and Anakin had definitely been restricted from having access to the halls of healing. He hadn't been allowed to see Obi-Wan at all and he almost didn't want to after what had happened with Master Dooku.

He remembered telling Qui-Gon about it. His master seemed visibly upset by the news, asking several times if he was sure that had been what he saw. When Anakin confirmed it, his Master had gone to meditate. He said he would confront Dooku later. Anakin had felt lucky to have Qui-Gon for a master. Even if he was more of a friend than a master. When he finally reached the halls of healing, he noticed the two temple guards who always stood watch during the later hours of the night. Anakin had been practicing his force abilities and was eager to try this one out. He looked off somewhere into the distance, down a hall in the opposite direction to the one he was currently hiding in. He held up his hand and flicked his wrist like he was through something.

The sound of something clanging down the hall startled the guards. They looked at each other before quietly leaving their post to go investigate. Anakin waited for them to be out of sight before sneaking over to the entrance and slipping inside. The halls of healing were dark at this time of night, the only light coming from the bacta tanks that lined the walls opposite to the patients block. He snuck passed several sleeping and recovering Jedi, tentatively reaching out in the force, looking for Obi-Wan. He felt Obi-Wan's presence towards the back and to his horror, he was awake. Anakin had intended to drop off the tin of tea and an apology note. He considered turning back now but he had already gone through all the trouble of getting here and he just knew that Qui-Gon would call him spineless if he came sulking back with the tin still in hand. So he set his jaw and pressed forward, rounding the corner to Obi-Wan's block.

The older padawan was sitting up on his mat flicking through the files on a data pad. He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he hadn't noticed that Anakinw as standing there until he cleared his throat. Obi-Wan jumped a bit, he looked startled when he saw Anakin, pressing slightly back into the matt he was sitting on.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice cold and his expression as icy as the day Anakin had met him.

Anakin swallowed. He really kriffed up.

"I- I just wanted to see you..." He said quietly, looking down.

Obi-Wan watched him, holding the data pad tightly in his hands, "You've seen me. Now get out." he said, his voice trembling a bit. Whether it was from rage or fear, Anakin couldn't tell, but it made his heart ache.

"I wanted to apologize, too." Anakin tried again, shifting a bit on his feet, "And I wanted to give you this." he produced the tin of tea form his belt and carefully placed it at the end of Obi-wans matt.

The older padawan stared at it for a long moment before his eyes flicked up to Anakin, slanting slightly; "If I accept your apology will you leave?"

"Probably not." Anakin said. He wanted to scream at Obi-Wan for giving him the cold shoulder, but wouldn't let himself do that. Not after he had hurt him so terribly, "Why didn't you tell them the truth?" He asked, tilting his chin up as he looked at Obi-Wan, searching his eyes.

Obi-Wan's brows knitted together and he looked down. He hadn't cut his hair since he had been put in medical, and the once neat hair had grown out a bit. It looked soft, Anakin remembered that he had wanted to touch it when he had saw Obi-wan exit the Solar Sailer. It felt like lightyears ago but in reality it had only been a week since he had met Obi-Wan.

It was Obi-Wan's voice that pulled him from his thoughts; "Anakin, you told me that Qui-Gon had you on house arrest. I forced you to go with me to the lower levels, and I forced you to drink. The fault is mine." he choked out, and Anakin noticed that he was nervously tugging at his long padawan braid.

"Let's get one thing strait, Obi-Wan." Anakin said, folding his arms over his chest and giving him what must have looked like a petulant glare, "You didn't make me do anything. Everything I did I did of my own will. You know that, and so do I. If I hadn't challenged you to a duel that day, none of this would have happened."

"If I hadn't agreed to that duel, none of this would have happened!" Obi-Wan shot back, the way his voice shook seemed to threaten tears.

Anakin made a face, he looked down, "Obi-Wan. I was the one who attacked you. If I hadn't done that, you wouldn't be here right now. I hurt you, and I'm sorry that I hurt you." Anakin said, looking at him. 

Obi-wan stared at him for a long moment, Anakin realized that he was holding his breath. He felt lighter when Obi-Wan finally released it, dropping the pad on his lap so that he could run his hands through his hair and fix Anakin with a look; "You're impossible." 

"Not nearly as impossible as you." Anakin retorted.

"Anakin, I will not sit here and bicker with you. If that is what you came here to do, I will call the guards and they will escort you out." Obi-Wan snapped at him, scowling.

Anakin lifted his hands placatingly, "no, no, that's not what I came here to do." he said quickly, letting his hands drop to his sides.

Obi-Wan watched him, his expression neutral before he tentatively reached out to the end of the matt and picked up the tin of tea, looking it over; "Where did you get this?"

"Qui-Gon gave it to me. He said if I was going to apologize, I should give it to you." Anakin said, tilting his head, "Is it important or something?"

Obi-Wan glanced up to him before leaning back, tracing his hands over the thin metal box; "It's from a Concordia, a moon that orbits Mandalore." he responded, "When I first became Master Dooku's Padawan, he, Master Jinn, and I had an extended mission on Mandalore." Obi-Wan dropped his hand to his rib and Anakin remembered that he had a tattoo inked into his skin there.

"I guess you liked it there a lot." Anakin said, not knowing what else to say as he watched him. Ever since they had met Anakin had been struck by how pretty Obi-Wan was. Even now, wrapped in bandages, Anakin was entranced by the movement of his hands, the slight pucker of his lip and the furrow of his brow. He looked both soft and sturdy at the same time. His thoughts drifted to how Quinlan acted around Obi-Wan, how he seemed so familiar with him, with his body, and a stripe of jealous crossed his vision.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" 

Anakin blinked, meeting Obi-Wan's eyes and flinching at the panicked expression on his face; "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare." He said hastily, "I didn't mean to..." He remembered once again that he had called Obi-Wan a whore and felt his gut twist sickeningly, "I'm sorry." he said, his face scrunching up a bit. Don't cry don't cry don't cry don't cry don't cry. Kriff.

"Anakin, why are you-" Obi-wan seemed alarmed as a sob was wretched from Anakin's throat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to." He babbled almost incoherently, pawing at his face in a desperate attempt to stop the tears from flowing but they just kept coming as he fell apart, crumpling down to his knees and pressing his face into the mattress to muffle the sound. 

He stayed like that for awhile, lost in a chaotic wave of emotion that seemed to be drowning him. He couldn't claw his way back up until he felt a gentle hand on the top of his head, lightly carding through the short hair. He sniffed and coughed a bit, lifting his head slightly to see Obi-Wan sitting in front of him, an uncertain expression drawn on his face. Anakin dropped his head back down, attempting to steady his breathing, using Obi-Wan's touch as a means to center himself, and it seemed to be working. It felt like Obi-wan had cast a line out into his dark ocean and was pulling him back to the light of the surface.

"I'm not going to forgive you, Anakin." Obi-Wan said quietly, "You hurt me. Physically. Emotionally. You called me a whore when you barely knew who I was. I'm not going to forgive you. Not yet at least." he murmured, before gripping Anakin's hair and forcing him to tilt his head back, searching his face with those sea glass eyes. 

Anakin sniffled, "Not yet?" he asked, wiping his face with the back of his hand and blinking away the remainder of his tears.

"No. Not yet. And I might never forgive you." He said, offering him a tight smile, "So... don't count on it."


	7. in which Obi-Wan is tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It gets kinda dicey in this one. In short, Obi-Wan "take-no prisoners" kenobi, is tired. This is a more serious chapter, but it’s important to explore the differences in the dynamic between Obi-Wan/Anakin and Obi-Wan/Quinlan.

Anakin stood before the council beside Qui-Gon, quietly listening to the Jedi masters as they deliberated. Next to him stood Obi-Wan, his expression stoic and a little unfriendly, Master Dooku stood behind his padawan with an equally stoic and unfriendly look drawn on his face, his hands on both of Obi-Wan's shoulders. Quinlan was also there but he stood alone, seeming more annoyed than anything else. Anakin had suspected that Qui-Gon and Dooku had spoken to the council about what happened, and their inquiries had no doubt put Quinlan's original statement in question. 

Finally, the masters that surrounded them silenced and Master Yoda tapped his grimer stick on the floor to draw their attention. Anakin felt himself tense up, his eyes flicking over to Obi-Wan who didn't so much as flinch. Quinlan stood up straiter, his arms folded over his chest with a scowl on his face.

"Come to a decision, the council has." Master Yoda says, settling back into his seat.

"And?" Qui-Gon asks, his expression serene as ever but Anakin could feel the absolute dread that leaked through their training bond. He attempted to send a wave of comfort through to him but he doubted Qui-Gon was paying attention.

"While we don't think either Obi-Wan or Anakin are entirely responsible for the incident, we also don't believe they are entirely innocent. Therefore, the council has decided that they will both recieve equal punishment." Master Windu responded neutrally, though his expression was tight.

Anakin heard a hissing breath come from beside him and his eyes flicked to Dooku, who didn't seem to agree with the Councils decision; "With all due respsect, Masters, I implore you to reconsider. My padawan would never have been so irresponsible-"

"Master," Obi-Wan's soft and lilting voice cut off Dooku's indignant rant, "if the council has decided to punish me, than I will accept their punishment." Obi-Wan said, his eyes downcast, "Even if I am not entirely responsible for the altercation, I should have been more diligent, and worked harder to prevent this from happening in the first place." 

Anakin watched Master Dooku squeeze Obi-Wan's shoulders, maybe as a show of comfort to the older padawan, though Dooku still did not seem pleased. It was a quiet moment like this that Anakin was in awe of Obi-Wan, his steadfast ease and serenity. While Obi-Wan might have been reminiscent of calm waters, Quinlan was anything but, the lines in his scowl deepening like an abyssal ocean.

Serves him right, Anakin thought making sure to level his gaze with the masters before him, straightening his spine as he spoke; "I'll accept my punishment as well."

He felt Qui-Gon's relief in the force around him and couldn't help but feel a little agitated. Did Qui-Gon not believe that he would accept their punishment? Maybe he wouldn't have if it had been anyone other than Obi-Wan. He remembered a few nights ago, when he had snuck down into the Halls of Healing. He had been nervous then, and while he wasn't exactly happy that Obi-Wan wouldn't just accept his apology, he was glad that they got a chance to talk before being brought before the council. 

"What will their punishment be, then?" Master Dooku's voice cut into Anakin's thoughts like the sharp edge of a knife. Anakin glanced over to him, noticing his clenched jaw, tense shoulders, and unfathomably cold eyes. He shuddered at the sudden chill that settled around the room like a blanket of heavy snow.

"To the archives, Padawan Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker will go. Reorganize the holocrons and assist Jocastu Nu, they will, yes." Master Yoda responded.

That eased some of the tension from Master Dooku. It could have been worse, Anakin decided. He could have been sent to help teach the younglings basics or lead them in meditation. He made for a horrible teacher, not patient enough. When he became a knight, he decided that a Padawan would only slow him down. At least if he was organizing the holocrons it gave him an excuse to be around Obi-Wan. He figured the older padawan wouldn't have chosen to be anywhere near him if he could help it, but then again, Obi-Wan didn't look like he minded the punishment. Of course, Obi-Wan was one of the few people who actually liked studying holocrons.

"Don't you think it's a little risky putting these two in the same room?"

Anakin's head snapped to Quinlan, who was currently looking at his nails. The tension immediately thickened in the room as the council members and their masters all turned their attention to the young knight. Quinlan wasn't phazed by the many eyes on him, in fact, he seemed to relish in the attention. Anakin felt the oily tendrils of the force slither around him, and immediately shielded himself so that the council wouldn't feel his cold leaking into the force. He desperately wanted to put Quinlan in his place. He had no right to meddle in this, he shouldn't be trying to involve himself in matters that didn't concern him. Anakin thought, if only for a moment, that he would delight in killing Quinlan if he was given the opportunity but caught himself, startled by the way the darkness purred at the idea. He didn't know if the thought repulsed or excited him.

"They have not been aggressive towards eachother since the altercation," Qui-Gon said carefully, "and my padawan has expressed deep regret of his actions."

"But regretting an action does not eliminate the fact that it had happened." Master Dook retorted, eyeing Qui-Gon who looked more than a little hurt that his old master wasn't taking his side.

"Exactly." Quinlan said, taking a step forward and raising his voice; "It's obvious that Padawan Skywalker is a loose canon and this isn't the first time that he has been violent with Padawan Kenobi. I'm sure you all have heard about their duel." 

Anakin bit his tongue. As much as he wanted to argue with Quinlan, tell him that it had just been friendly competition, the fact that Master Dooku was siding with him meant he wouldn't be getting much support for his case. Or at least, that's what he thought.

"If I remember correctly," Master Windu spoke up, his eyes meeting the other members of the council, "Padawan Kenobi won that duel. Not to mention, Padawan Skywalker has challenged every other padawan in the temple, including your own, Knight Vos. Are you suggesting that any encounter that Padawan Skywalker engages in will result in violence? Would your padawan agree with you?"

"Aayla has nothing to do with this." Quinlan snapped, only to realize seconds later that Master Windu had been trying to provoke him.

Master Windu quirked a brow, his expression and voice remained neutral; "Padawan Secura might not have anything to do with this, but based on precedent, I don't see any patterns of violence in Padawan Skywalkers behavior. This may have just been a one off incident."

"Even so, he still lashed out at Obi-Wan and I hardly feel comfortable letting Padawan Skywalker be anywhere near him." Master Dooku bit out indignantly.

"A sign of attachment, that is, Master Dooku." Master Yoda said, interrupting their bickering, "Your Padawan, the decision will be left to."

Anakin felt Obi-Wan tense up as all the attention suddenly landed on him. The older padawan looked down, awkwardly fidgeting with his braid before flipping it over his shoulder; "Masters," he said evenly, "Padawan Skywalker and I have already accepted our punishment. Is that not enough?"

The members of the council whispered amongst themselves before falling silent once more, looking to Master Yoda.

"To be seperated from Padawan Skywalker, you do not wish to be, Padawan Kenobi?" Master Yoda asked curiously, his large green ears twitching.

"I believe in second chances, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan said, and for the first time since the deliberations began, he looked to Anakin and a strange warmth seemed to wrap around him, "Ignoring this issue may only serve to make it worse. If we cannot collaborate despite our differences, than we are not being the Jedi that we are supposed to be." 

"Very well then, Padawan Kenobi. To the archives, you and Padawan Skywalker will go, today, during your free hours." Master Yoda said, hitting his stick one final time on the ground, "Dismissed, this meeting is."

They exited the council chambers and Anakin felt particularly warm. He hadn't felt warm since they entered the deliberations. While Obi-Wan may have been addressing the council, Anakin knew that the older padawan's words were specifically being directed at him. A second chance. Obi-Wan was willing to give him a second chance after everything he had done. It took everything he had not to explode into a sobbing heap in front of the members of the council. Even though Master Dooku and Knight Vos didn't seem to be particularly happy about the arrangement, there wasn't anything they could do about it now. The council had spoken.

Anakin and Qui-Gon said their farewells to the other three before making their way back to their apartment. It was a quiet walk, neither of them speaking, and Anakin wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing. When they arrived at their door and Qui-Gon punched in the the passcode, he found out.

"You're lucky." Qui-Gon had said, entering the room with a swish of his robes.

"Lucky, master? I thought there was no such thing as luck." Anakin teased, but when Qui-Gon looked back to him he realized this was meant to be a serious conversation. He looked down, embarrased, "I'm sorry master."

"You should be." Qui-Gon bit out before stopping and closing his eyes, letting his emotions go into the force before sighing long and heavy and dropping down onto the sofa in their common room, "I did not expect things to be so tense when my old master returned."

Seeing that this wasn't about to be just a serious conversation, but a long conversation too, Anakin went and sat in one of the chairs across from Qui-Gon, leaning forward and clasping his hands together; "What do you mean?"

"Master Dooku has always been rather reserved, but I have never seen him lash out in so much anger. It's- I find it troublesome." Qui-Gon managed, rubbing a hand down his face, "Forgive me, I don't mean to complain to you."

"No, master, it's fine." Anakin assured, "You always told me that it was important to address your feelings. In order to understand them and everything." he tried to apply what Qui-Gon had taught him in the past, tried to draw upon his seemingly infinite wisdom, but felt as though he always fell short of his master.

Qui-Gon only offered him a tired smile, "How easy it is to forget ones own teachings." He chuckled softly, closing his eyes again.

Anakin returned his smile, rising to his feet; "Would you like some tea master?" 

###

Obi-Wan walked silently down the temple halls. It was just before curfew and he had finished his work in the archives with Anakin. The other padawan had managed to keep a respectful distance the entire time Jocasta Nu ordered them around, though his eyes lingered longer than they should have and immediately averted whenever Obi-Wan decided to look back at him. It wasn't much but at least Anakin hadn't tried to force himself back into Obi-Wan's orbit. He seemed to be the only one who got the hint, however. Waiting for him outside his and Master Dooku's apartment was Quinlan Vos. The knight was leaned up next to the door frame and looking at his nails, his brows knitted together and his expression pinched. Obi-Wan didn't want to deal with this right now. 

"What do you want, Quin?" Obi-Wan asked, moving to punch in the passcode to the door.

"You know what I want." Quinlan responded, stepping in his way and crossing his arms over his chest, staring down at him.

Obi-Wan grimaced, "Do we have to do this right now?" He asked tiredly. He had entirely forgotten about his promise.

"I'm leaving for another mission to the outer rim tomorrow. So, yes. We do have to do this right now." Quinlan responded, his voice conveying good humor and amusement, though it was rather clipped. 

Obi-Wan frowned, his hand instinctively moving to the side of his rib; "You sound as though we're never going to see eachother again. There will be time for you to have your way with me when you get back." he bit out, moving to push Quinlan out of the way but the knight caught his wrist and swung him around, pressing him into the wall.

Obi-Wan bit his lip, glaring up at him, "What," he said slowly, "do you think you're doing?"

"Come on Obi," Quinlan said, "you promised."

"Quin, you know damn well why I did that." Obi-Wan snapped out, pushing Quinlan off of him, his face hot; "I'm not in the mood right now." 

Quinlan seemed rather startled, Obi-Wan had never yelled at him before. The padawan's hair was slightly mussed and his face blooming bright pink. Quinlan had wondered if anyone could take him seriously when he looked like that. He raised his hands placatingly, offering a rueful smile; "Sorry, imp." He said, though he didn't really mean it.

The pet name made Obi-Wan's flush saturate into a deep red and the younger man looked away, his lips pressed together. 

Quinlan watched him for a moment before again stepping into Obi-Wan's space and reaching out, lightly tugging on Obi-Wan's padawan braid; "Is it because of him?" he asked.

Obi-Wan's brows knitted together; "Who?"

"You know who." Quinlan said, his eyes slanting and his voice taking an accusing note; "That Skywalker kid. This is about him, isn't it."

The color drained immediately from Obi-Wan's face, "He's got nothing to do with this, Quin." he said, his voice too soft, as he looked down.

"Seems your heart and your head aren't in the same place, Obi." Quinlan teased, twirling Obi-Wan's braid between his fingers, "I didn't think you cared who you ended up with, so long as you got what you wanted."

Obi-wan snarled at that, gripping Quinlan's wrist and squeezing hard; "You really don't know a damn thing, do you?" He seethed, "Not that it matters, you don't give a damn about anyone but yourself. I feel sorry for your padawan."

Quinlan scowled, meeting Obi-Wan's fire with his own, "Why does everyone want to bring Aayla into this? This isn't about her!"

"How do you think she would feel about her master trying to pressure someone, another padawan, into sex?" Obi-Wan said, the hot blade of his words cooling into the sharpened edge of a knife, "How do you think the council would feel about it? Don't make yourself look any more foolish than you already are, Quin." 

Quinlan took a step back, his eyes wide as Obi-Wan stared him down, lifting his chin. When Quinlan started giving ground, Obi-Wan snatched it away from him, until the knights back hit the wall on the other side of the thankfully empty hallway; "He called me a whore, you know?" Quinlan's mouth twisted and he avoided Obi-Wan's eyes as the younger man pressed into him, "And maybe I am a whore, but at least people want to have sex with me."

In a nearby passageway Anakin Skywalker listened to the viperous exchanging of words, his head tipped up as he leaned against the wall, the dark side of the force singing sweet nothings into his ears as he drowned in its inky black waters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support!


	8. in which Anakin tries to be a good person

"I'll be leaving for a mission soon."

Anakin's head snapped up and he looked across the table that he and Obi-Wan had been using to sort through the holocrons. It had been a relatively quiet hour, Jocasta had begun leaving them alone to finish their work since they had been consistently productive since the beginning of their punishment. That was in part, of course, due to Obi-Wan's insistence that they do their work silently. He hadn't spoken at all since the beginning of their punishment, so hearing his voice caught Anakin by surprise. His heart pounded against his rib case. Was this a sign? Was Obi-Wan finally starting to forgive him? Anakin didn't want to push his luck.

"Really?" He said, keeping his voice quiet, "Where are you going? For how long?" He asked curiously, not meaning to ask so many questions.

Obi-Wan huffed, furrowing his brows as he looked into a particular holocron that detailed the mating cycles of convors; "It's a diplomatic mission. Only a few days." He set the holocron down and looked up to meet Anakin's eyes, "Master Jinn hasn't taken you on many missions, has he?"

Anakin shook his head, setting aside his holocron as well; "No, not really. I'm not allowed to go on diplomatic missions anymore, apparently my negotiation tactics are too aggressive." He said, offering a grin.

Obi-Wan quirked a small, tight smile, and it made Anakin's heart flutter, "Master Dooku and I engage in what we call 'aggressive negotiations.'"

"Yea?" Anakin leaned forward in his chair, folding his arms on the table and resting his head on them, "What does that entail?"

"Well, aggressive negotiations are negotiations with a lightsaber." Obi-Wan said, pausing for a moment before mimicking Anakin's posture, resting his chin on his arms.

"I wish Qui-Gon would let us do aggressive negotiations." Anakin snorted, tilting his head curiously at Obi-Wan.

"What does Master Jinn usually do?" Obi-Wan asked, closing his eyes a bit. Anakin noticed, distantly, that he looked rather tired.

"He 'listens to the will of the force' and uses mind tricks. One time he gambled away my robes, all of them, in an effort to get information. He does what he calls 'working the crowd' if you know what I mean." Anakin said, lazily tracing along the groves of the table, lost in thought.

"I guess that sounds about right." Obi-Wan mused, "he does like to gamble."

They exchanged grins across the table before hurriedly getting back to work when Jocasta came to check on them. Obi-wan would leave for his mission later that night, leaving Anakin to organize the holocrons alone. It wasn't much different to when Obi-Wan was there but he did miss the company. The next day when he returned, he felt a sense of emptiness. Like something was missing. He had wanted to exchange frequencies with Obi-Wan but seeing how Obi-Wan had just started talking to him again, he didn't think it was a good idea. At least not yet. He was finishing up one of the catalogs when he felt a tug on the back of one of his tabards. He turned around in his chair to see a little torgruta girl with massive blue eyes. Anakin arched his brow, he vaguely remembered seeing her on the observation balcony when he had dueled Obi-Wan.

"Can I help you?" Anakin asked awkwardly, tilting his head. He wasn't the best with kids yet.

"Where's Obi?" the little togruta asked in a tone that sent Anakin reeling. For something so small, she had a big voice.

"Obi-Wan is on a mission right now." Anakin said, watching the little girl pout at him in disappointment, "But I can help you if you need help." he tried, not wanting the girl to be displeased.

The white markings above the younglings eyes shot up in an almost comical way; "No. I want Obi's help."

"But Obi isn't here right now." Anakin said, trying not to get frustrated. It's just a youngling, he told himself. He was a youngling once, right? He can handle this.

The girl mauled over his words, "Fine." She turned abruptly and started walking, turning back when she didn't here Anakin get up; "Are you coming mister Padawan?"

Anakin scoffed and stood up; "I have a name, you know?"

"So do I. Is 'Soka." The girl said.

"And I'm Anakin Skywalker." Anakin mused, falling into step with the girl as she lead him through the shelves of holocrons.

"Ani-what? That's too long." The girl muttered, she pointed a rude finger at him; "You're Skyguy now." 

"Whatever you say Snips." Anakin challenged and the girl gasped in offense.

"My name is 'Soka." She repeated and Anakin nodded.

"Right," He said, "Snips, got it." he grinned at her when she made a rude noise and kept walking. Maybe he didn't hate kids as much as he thought.

###

Obi-Wan was breathing hard, his vision blurring together. He was covered in dirt and mud, his padawan braid had been frayed entirely. He felt the stinging presence of the assassin in the force nearby but he couldn't pin point exactly where they were, so instead he kept running. This was meant to be a diplomatic mission, so it shouldn't have come to him so much as a surprise when the assassin showed up during their dinner and made an easy job of dispatching their target. Obi-wan had foolishly jumped after them, chasing them down only to realize that he had put himself in grave danger. He tried reaching out to his master in the force but he was no where to be found. He was shielding himself, as always.

His foot caught on a patch of uneven rock and he went down hard, grunting at the sharp pain that exploded on his hands and knees. Shakily, he got to his feet, cursing as he looked down on his bloodied hands, the scrapes in his knees soaking his pants in deep plumes of violet. He should have been thankful, that through the searing pain he could sense the assassin running up behind him. Calling on the force, he managed to wrap a tendril around her ankle and toss her hard into the rocky wall. He heard the woman cuss but she recovered quickly and this time there was no time to react. 

The assassin struck him hard in the gut, he felt his stomach explode in a bundle of nerves as blood gushed through his tunic and he fell to the ground. The woman held a knife neatly between her fingers and Obi-Wan's vision began spotting as he coughed bright red specks onto the rocky surface below him. This was the second time he had coughed blood in less than a standard month, he thought distantly as the assassin pressed her boot against his chest and kicked him back hard against the caverns wall. His heart was racing, his vision blurring together again as he looked up at her weakly.

"Poor little Jedi." She teased mockingly, stepping between his legs and crouching down, watching him as he bled out in front of her. She reached out, tugging at his long padawan braid; "These fetch a pretty pile of credits on the black market. I don't think you'll be needing it any more, anyways." She said, lifting her knife up and lightly pressing the blade along his cheek and near his ear where the braid began.

Obi-Wan felt sick, he couldn't even manage a gasping plea for her to stop. Was this really the end?

Before the assassin could sever the braid, a crash of lightning came down from above. The woman howled in pain, thrown back hard in the force, her back cracking painfully against the wall on the other side of the cliff. Obi-Wan felt Master Dooku's presence and it made his stomach lurch. He barely recognized his masters force signature. The oily mass of darkness that followed him as he stepped gingerly down into the cavern, his eyes a blazing gold. Obi-Wan had seen eyes like those before. He had seen them in Anakin, felt the dark side like this too. He wanted to scream but he couldn't.

"How dare you." He heard his masters voice rumble, "How dare you lay a hand on my padawan." 

Obi-Wan watched in horror as his master lifted his hands, shooting hot blue energy from the tips of his fingers as the assassin writhed, shrieking in pain. He couldn't stop him. He couldn't even move. He felt the assassin's life slip away into the cosmic force, her body had been burnt to a crisp, smoke softly curling around the charred flesh. Rain began to sprinkle softly from the storm clouds above and his vision went in and out of focus as his master slowly approached. The last thing he saw before unconsciousness took him was a pair of molten eyes.

###

Anakin was with Master Jinn when they got the news. Obi-Wan had been wounded on his mission with Master Dooku and would be returning to the temple while Master Dooku stayed behind to finish the negotiations. Anakin waited in the hangar, rocking impatiently on his heals, waiting for Obi-Wan to return. His mind churned heavily within him, thick and viscous. It was all he could do to get a handle on the darkness he felt. He had felt it before, when he caught Quinlan and Obi-Wan in the temple halls outside of Obi-Wan's apartment. He had so desperately wanted to reveal himself. Wanted to take Quinlan and crack his back against the temple wall, watch him cough blood and beg for mercy. The force purred. It wanted more. It wanted chaos.

Anakin snapped out of his thoughts when the shuttle finally arrived. He shoved the oily tendrils deep down within himself, feeling his muscles tense as he strode briskly over to the starship, hands clasped tightly behind his back. The boarding ramp lowered slowly and Obi-Wan stepped off, assisted by the shuttles pilot. Anakin immediately went to meet him, throwing Obi-Wan's arm over his shoulder and nodding for the pilot to let go. The pilot seemed grateful but he shouldn't have. Anakin just didn't want anyone else touching the older padawan. He didn't want anyone else to hurt him.

Obi-Wan was quieter than usual as they made their way to the Halls of Healing. Anakin glanced over to him, observing the older padawan's tired eyes. He was more disheveled now than he had ever been. It made Anakin feel sick to his stomach, that someone so perfect could appear so broken. _What happened to him?_ He had thought distantly. When they entered the healing chambers, Healer Che immediately ran to assist Obi-Wan, pulling him away from Anakin and bringing him to one of the bacta chambers. Anakin watched silently, staying back so he wasn't in the way. He noticed that Obi-Wan kept looking at him. Noticed the way his brows furrowed uncertainly, how his eyes dropped down when Anakin met his gaze. It was infuriating.

Anakin stayed in the halls of healing the entire time Obi-Wan was in the bacta tank, halfheartedly working on a holocron he was meant to be cataloging. First, write down the title of the Holocron, it's author and it's origin, second, compile a list of key words that explain the holocrons content. Finally, write a summary of the holocron and return it to its proper place in the archive. He recited Jocasta Nu's words in the back of his mind as he went about his work, his attention snapping up as the bacta tank beeped and began to drain out the sticky blue goop. 

Healer Che went and braced Obi-Wan as he fell from where he had been floating in the tank. She set him down on the cot and removed the breathing apparatus. Obi-Wan was mostly limp, his eyes still somewhat unfocused as he came back to reality from the induced meditative state.

"Padawan Skywalker."

Anakin looked to Healer Che, realizing he had been staring at Obi-Wan. He stood up; "Yes, master?" he asked, shifting on his heels.

"Since you insist on being here, please assist Padawan Kenobi to the fresher. He needs to wash off the excess bacta." Healer Che said, stepping back.

Anakin swallowed thickly and nodded, going over and helping Obi-Wan stand on wobbly legs. Obi-Wan's eyes flicked to him but he didn't say anything. Anakin brought the older padawan around to the healers fresher, gently setting him down on the side of the tub and going to close the door. Obi-Wan didn't move, still looking distant as Anakin went and started the water.

"Do you want a bath or a shower?" Anakin managed, forcing his desire down. Obi-Wan was hurt. He needed help right now, not Anakin breathing down his neck like a starving loth wolf.

"Shower. Can you wait outside?" Obi-Wan spoke for the first time since he had returned. Anakin looked at him with uncertain eyes and Obi-Wan's expression twisted slightly, "Please? Anakin?" he said it so softly, Anakin almost thought he'd imagined it.

He didn't imagine it, however, and how was he supposed to deny Obi-Wan's wishes when he asked so nicely? He nodded to the older padawan, glancing to him one final time before exiting the fresher and closing the door, leaning back against it and sliding down. His heart pounded heavily against his chest and he took deep, calming breaths in an attempt to reign in his emotions. Breathing in deeply, holding it, then letting the air leave his lungs slowly. He did this a couple times, finally managing to center himself. He felt pressure on the door behind him followed by panic in Obi-Wan's force signature. Anakin stood up quickly, stepping away from the door as it opened.

Obi-Wan stood in the doorway, wearing the medical issued tunic and pants offered by the Halls of Healing. They fit loosely on him because of how short he was. Anakin found himself sweeping his gaze up and down the older padawan's body before shaking his head in an attempt to recalibrate his brain. Obi-Wan saw him, tilting his head and quirking a brow. The expression made Anakin's face flush hot and red.

"Healer Che said you don't have to stay in the Halls of Healing if you don't want to." Anakin managed, trying to make his voice sound less strangled.

Obi-wan tilted his chin up, observing him, "Will you take me to my apartment, then?" He asked.

Anakin nodded, offering Obi-Wan his arm which he graciously took. Anakin supported him as they went back up to the temples apartments, nodding to Healer Che as they went. Obi-Wan's movements were still a bit stilted but it probably had more to do with him being tired and sore than being injured like before. Anakin tried not to pay attention to the way Obi-Wan's body pressed against him, the way his hair smelled of the temple regulated soap. He tried not to think about the way Obi-Wan breathed out his nose, and the little grunt he made when Anakin moved to fast. He tried and failed, and desperately tried not to show it through the force. He didn't want Obi-Wan to think of him the way he thought of Quinlan. He wanted to be better than Quinlan, if only for Obi-Wan. If only to make Obi-Wan happy. Because it felt to him like Obi-Wan had been made to bear infinite sadness and Anakin thought he deserved better. 

They finally reached the door to Obi-Wan's apartment and Anakin let the older padawan pull away from his arm so that he could punch in the passcode. The door hissed open and Obi-Wan stepped inside. Anakin stood awkwardly on the other side of the doorway as Obi-wan turned around to look at him. His heart leapt from his chest to his throat and he looked away, awkwardly rubbing his neck.

"I, uh, I hope that you feel better soon." Anakin tried, immediately cursing himself for being so lame.

Obi-Wan only continued to watch him before stepping forward into Anakin's space and pulling the collar of Anakin's shirt and pressing a hard kiss on Anakin's lips. Anakin felt himself ascend into the cosmic force before he realized that he should maybe kiss back, so he did, letting his hands fall on Obi-Wan's waist, his heart threatening to explode from his chest. 

Obi-Wan broke the kiss after a long moment, panting softly, his eyes searching Anakin's face. Anakin was breathing hard, his brows furrowed, not sure what it meant. If it meant anything at all. Obi-Wan pulled him back down, kissing him again. It was hot and fast and good. Anakin didn't think anything else could feel this good. Well, almost anything else. When Obi-Wan broke away this time, he dragged his teeth on Anakin's bottom lip, causing the younger padawan to whimper brokenly. He wanted it. He wanted this.

"I'm feeling lonely tonight." Obi-Wan breathed out, his eyes glinting in the darkness, "Will you hold me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support! You can find me on tumblr under the same username [](http://www.unpheenix.tumblr.com)


	9. in which Anakin and Obi-Wan spend the night together

Anakin sat on Obi-Wan's sofa, watching the older padawan as he went about the apartment, putting things away and cleaning things up. Anakin had been in the apartment before but it felt different now that it was being properly lived in. There were little succulent type plants on the counter, tapestries hanging on all the walls, there was a scribbly drawing stuck on the fridge with a magnet that looked something like an abstract portrait of a woman's face. Obi-Wan was making a pot of tea, his arms crossed like he was hugging himself as he listened to the water boil. Anakin let his eyes drag along the curve of Obi-Wan's back, once again forcing down the desire that desperately fought its way to the front of his mind. 

Obi-wan glanced over to him, quirking a brow as he picked up on Anakin's frustration in the force; "Is something the matter?" he asked casually.

"No, nothing." Anakin spat out and regretted how snide he sounded, "Sorry, didn't mean for it to come out that way." 

"It's not your fault." Obi-Wan murmured, hearing the kettle whistle, he took it off the heat and poured them both some tea. Anakin had forgot to mention that he didn't like tea.

Obi-Wan returned to the sofa and offered Anakin one of the cups which he accepted, sniffing its contents curiously. It smelled strongly of orange peel and it made his lip curl back. Obi-Wan laughed at him and Anakin blushed scarlet, looking away.

"If you didn't want any, all you had to do was say so." Obi-Wan murmured, settling his mouth on the rim of his cup before tipping it back and taking a careful sip.

Anakin watched the way his throat bobbed when he swallowed and he looked away, focusing instead on the heat that seeped through the walls of the cup he was holding, letting it burn his fingers and become almost unbearable; "I didn't want to seem rude. You looked like you had a bad day." Anakin said quietly.

Obi-Wan snorted and Anakin looked over to him. Anakin noticed the dark circles under his eyes, the way his lips were pressed together in a thin line. His shoulders were tense and his force signature prickled uncomfortably. Anakin looked down at his cup and took a sip, forcing the tangy liquid down. In the force, Obi-Wan felt like a fragile shell of himself, he felt off balance in a way that Anakin didn't recognize or understand. He always thought that Obi-Wan would be the beacon of stability, especially when they had first met. But now, after everything, it seemed that even the strongest dams could crack, and Obi-Wan's dam was threatening to burst from the fracture.

Anakin considered his options before setting his cup down and scooting closer to Obi-Wan. He didn't know if this was a good idea, but considering his track record, he assumed it probably wasn't. In retrospect, however, he didn't think any of his ideas were very good ones. He put his arm around Obi-Wan's shoulder and tugged him closer so that the older padawan would lean against him. Obi-Wan didn't look at Anakin but he didn't pull away either, bringing his tea cup to his lips and sipping from the steaming liquid. Anakin figured that was a good sign, deciding this would be good enough for now and just keeping his arm loosely over the older padawan's shoulder, allowing him to move if he wanted to.

They stayed like this for almost an hour, stewing in each others company. Neither of them said anything and it felt like neither of them had to. Anakin let his mind wander, his eyes curiously inspecting the room more closely. He noticed little things in the tapestries on the wall, firstly that they were not Jedi tapestries but rather, tapestries from Sorenno. Second, there were many many trinkets scattered about the room. Set neatly on shelves, stuffed haphazardly into crates that served as end tables. They were talisman, Anakin realized, objects used to hone ones connection to the unifying force. Anakin furrowed his brows, subconsciously tightening his arm around Obi-Wan's shoulder. The room, he realized, was very loud.

"Anakin?"

Anakin snapped out of his thoughts and looked down to Obi-Wan, relaxing his arm slightly; "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"No, it's not that." Obi-Wan said, his voice sounded raw, "I wanted to ask you about something."

"What is it?" Anakin asked gently, finding himself tracing patterns on Obi-Wan's shoulder.

"When we were in the lower levels, the force around you changed." Obi-Wan said quietly, staring at his the contents of his half empty tea-cup, "Like it had been swallowed up by something cold and mean." He looked up now into Anakin's eyes, the seaglass green seeming endless and uncertain, "Anakin, what was that? What happened, I don't understand."

Anakin frowned a bit, searching Obi-Wan's face. He remembered the flash of gold in the refresher mirror, the chill of the force around him when he caught Obi-Wan and Quinlan in the hallway. He remembered the vicious triumph he felt at lashing out in the force, at throwing Obi-Wan down and putting him in his rightful place on the floor. He felt the sudden panic rise in the back of his throat and pulled away from Obi-Wan, shaking his head to jumble his thoughts. How could he think such awful things? He was reminded of the pure bliss he felt at the idea of killing Quinlan, suffocating him till the light slipped away from his eyes. He couldn't help but think that there was something terribly wrong with him.

"I don't know, Obi-Wan." He said finally, "I don't know what it was. It's happened before though." He looked to the older padawan, searching his face, "And I'm afraid it's going to happen again."

Obi-Wan furrowed his brows and looked away. Anakin blinked, wondering if he misinterpreted Obi-Wan's question. The older padawan seemed suddenly calculating, as if he were trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together. He sighed in frustration, setting his tea cup down and looking back to Anakin, scrutinizing him. Anakin shifted uncomfortably under Obi-Wan's gaze. He wondered if he had done or said something wrong. He tentatively reached out in the force, trying to feel out Obi-Wan's thoughts, but the older padawan was shielding, and his mind was like an iron fortress.

"Stop doing that." 

Anakin blinked, pulling back into himself in suprirse; "What?"

"I can feel you poking around at my mind. I don't like it and I want you to stop." Obi-Wan said, glancing to him.

 _Was this a test?_ Anakin thought, nodding slowly, "Okay. I'll stop."

Obi-Wan tilted his chin up, still looking at him from the corner of his eye before he leaned back over, pressing into Anakin's side; "For someone who's so space brained, you're surprisingly good at reading people."

Anakin flushed scarlet, hesitantly putting his arm back around Obi-Wan's shoulder. He felt the older padawan smile, leaning his head against him; "I suppose that's a compliment?"

"It might be." Obi-Wan murmured, nuzzling softly into Anakin's shoulder.

Anakin watched him, thinking for a moment he gently brought his hand under Obi-Wan's chin, tilting the older padawan's head up. Obi-Wan met his gaze, his eyes glinting, as if daring him to try it. Anakin bit his lip. He liked a challenge, so he leant down and gently brushed his lips against Obi-Wan's, and Obi-Wan let him. They kissed slowly, not like they had done in the doorway. Obi-Wan moved his hand and gently pushed Anakin over and onto his back. Anakin looked up as Obi-Wan sat over him, leaning down and continuing to kiss him slowly. It became very apparently to Anakin that Obi-wan knew what he was doing and he did not.

"You're bad at this." Obi-Wan murmured against his lips and Anakin flushed darkly.

"Sorry, I don't break the code very often." Anakin bit back and Obi-Wan snorted.

"Lucky for you, I break it all the time." He teased, giving him a more biting kiss.

"You're full of surprises, and here I thought you were the Jedi Orders most perfect padawan." Anakin retorted, watching as Obi-Wan sat up, lightly tracing his hands down Anakin's chest.

"It's about finding balance in the code and in yourself. My balance just happens to include a healthy amount of physical exertion." Obi-Wan smirked at the obvious heat and uncomfortable hardness that was now plaguing Anakin's body.

"So I guess that somewhere else and later is here and now?" Anakin asked, quirking a brow at him.

"If you want it to be." Obi-Wan responded, lazily pulling at Anakin's obi before letting his hand drop lower.

Anakins sucked in a sharp breath; "Are you sure you're up for that right now? You looked pretty tired earlier." Anakin tried, fumbling for excuses to hide his inexperience.

"If you don't want to do this, Anakin..." Obi-Wan began but Anakin quickly shushed him, sitting up and pulling Obi-Wan back down into a kiss.

"No," He breathed out softly when they broke apart, watching Obi-Wan's eyes, "I want to do this. I've just, I- I've never done it before." He said shyly, feeling rather embarrassed.

Obi-Wan chuckled softly, moving forward and pressing a kiss to Anakin's forehead; "I can see that. You don't have to be afraid."

 _It's not that I'm afraid of doing it,_ he thought, _I’m afraid of what happens after we do it._

Obi-Wan quirked a brow at him, seeming thoughtful, "Let's try it like this, then..." He sat back and pulled Anakin up by the collar of his shirt, kissing him one last time before tugging at the soft linen; "Take this off for me."

It was said like a command and Anakin obeyed, awkwardly pulling off his belt and obi, followed by the tabards and his outer tunic. He hesitated momentarily, his eyes flicking up to Obi-Wan who gave him an encouraging look. Biting his lip, Anakin pulled his undershirt off and tossed it away, sitting under Obi-Wan with his chest bare. He was embarrassed, of course. Because this was Obi-wan who was with him, and Obi-Wan had more experience with this sort of thing, and Obi-Wan was so insanely pretty Anakin thought he might die. The older padawan gently put his hand back on Anakin's chest, lightly tracing down along the muscle. Anakin felt the muscle in his stomach tense and he exhaled sharply when Obi-Wan's fingers traced along the side of his body. Obi-Wan laughed lightly and Anakin looked away.

"Anakin, if it's too much you have to tell me to stop, okay?" Obi-Wan said, his fingers lightly feathering the edge of Anakin's pants. Anakin only nodded and he felt Obi-Wan swat his thigh, "you gotta say it out loud, too."

Anakin made a rude noise, "Okay, okay. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to blow you."

Anakin's brain stopped functioning; "What? Wait, you're going to what?"

"Gods, Anakin!" Obi-Wan was laughing for real now and Anakin felt his heart jump back up to his throat and his face flush scarlet. It sounded so right, hearing Obi-Wan laugh and seeing him for once look like he wasn't upset or disappointed, just happy with the corners of his eyes crinkled and, oh gods, he had dimples when he smiled wide. Obi-Wan was smiling still and Anakin couldn't believe how absolutely perfect it was. He realized in that moment he'd do anything for Obi-Wan. In the short amount of time he knew the older padawan he had irreversibly fallen in love with him.

"You've really never done this before?" Anakin heard Obi-Wan ask, tearing him away from his thoughts.

Anakin nodded, then remembered he should use his words, and said; "No, I've never- I mean I've touched myself before but I've never been with someone like this."

Obi-Wan hummed thoughtfully, flipping his padawan braid over his shoulder; "I'll go slow then, okay?"

"What about you?"

"One step at a time." Obi-Wan chided before pulling the waistband of Anakin's leggings down and taking his out his half hard cock. 

Anakin tilted his head back, biting back a moan at the feeling of someone else's hand on him. Obi-Wan glanced up to him and Anakin offered a small nod for him to keep going. Obi-Wan dropped his eyes back down, stroking up his shaft and pulling back down, Anakin jerked a bit at the feeling and tried to stop himself from thrusting up into Obi-Wan's fist. It felt so incredibly good already and he knew he wasn't going to last very long. 

Obi-Wan gave him a couple more strokes before he scooted back a bit and leaned down, blowing a soft puff of air against the hardened flesh. Anakin jerked his leg at the feeling and Obi-Wan chuckled lightly again; "it's okay, Anakin." he said softly before pressing a kiss against the slit where pre-cum was beginning to gather. Anakin whimpered, letting his head drop onto his shoulder as he watched Obi-Wan take him into his mouth. It was hot and wet and so so perfect. Obi-Wan's eyes flicked up to him as he hollowed his cheeks and went down on him properly. Anakin easily fell apart, moaning softly and furiously trying to keep his hips from jerking up and gagging Obi-Wan on his dick. Not that Obi-Wan seemed to mind.

As predicted, it didn't take long and Anakin made a startled noise when he felt the nerves pulled taut in his stomach; "Obi-Wan, Obi, I'm going to come-"

Obi-Wan hummed and slowed down but didn't pull off and didn't stop, and Anakin felt his orgasm wretched from inside him. He spilled down Obi-Wan's throat and felt his dick give one final twitch when the older padawan didn't pull away, taking whatever Anakin could give before letting the softening cock slip from his lips. Anakin fell onto his back, breathing heavily. His brain was doing backflips trying to get on top of the immense amount of pleasure, but it kept going until after a minute or so it finally rolled to a stop and he could hear himself think again. Obi-Wan wiped his lip thoughtfully with the back of his hand, glancing to Anakin and smirking.

The older padawan leaned over one last time and pressed a kiss onto Anakin's cock before moving up and kissing his lips, ripping a weak sound from the back of his throat.

"Did you like that, Anakin?" he asked softly against his lips, brushing the younger padawan's hair back.

"Mm- yea- it was good, it was really good." Anakin slurred out and Obi-Wan chuckled. 

Obi-Wan stood and pulled Anakin up by his arm. The younger padawan stumbled after him as he went to his room and told Anakin to go to sleep. Anakin dropped down onto Obi-Wan's bed, surrounded by his scent. He felt warm. He noticed that whenever he was with Obi-Wan, he felt warm, but especially now. Especially being allowed to be near him and feel him. He felt himself drift off, snapping back to consciousness when Obi-Wan joined him in the bed, tossing the covers over Anakin and curling up beside him. 

"Obi-Wan..." Anakin murmured and he felt the older padawan move against him, pressing a kiss on his lips, the smell of mouthwash and toothpaste invading his nose.

"Go to sleep, Anakin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support!


	10. in which the plot thickens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is important for plot reasons and thus is very plot heavy!

Qui-Gon sipped his tea while lounging in the common room of his and Anakin's apartment. It was late, long past curfew. Anakin hadn't been back since he had gone to meet Obi-wan in the hangar. Qui-Gon thought it was strange, that his young padawan had hated Obi-Wan so fervently one day and seemed to be tripping over himself to be with him the next. He felt a small smile play his lips, scratching at his beard as he set the datapad down and finished his tea. Anakin was anything but subtle, so it was easy for Qui-Gon to imagine his padawan sleeping on the floor in the Halls of Healing just so that he could be sure that Obi-Wan was alright. The smile faded after a moment. 

_A sign of attachment, it is._

Qui-Gon frowned a bit, suddenly disinterested in his tea. He stood up and shuffled into the kitchen, grumbling at the way his bones popped and his muscles pulled at the sudden movement. He was getting old and he didn't want to get old. Not yet anyways. He still had so much to do. He wondered how his old master managed to keep up with a padawan who was lightyears younger than him. 

Almost as if on command, his commlink chimed with a message. Master Dooku. Qui-Gon stared at the commlink for awhile, brows furrowed as he tried to remember what time it would be wherever Master Dooku was stationed. He decided that the time didn't really matter, answering the call and leaning heavily onto the kitchen counter as the blue hologram flickered to life. His old master looked more tired than usual in the gaunt blue light of the holo, and it made Qui-Gon re-access his earlier notion that Master Dooku was keeping up with Obi-wan. Instead, it would seem by the lines that creased his forehead and the sunken look in his eyes, that Obi-Wan was just dragging him along as he went. 

"Master, isn't it late where you are?" Qui-Gon rumbled, absently looking at a piece of his hair. He would need to get it trimmed soon.

"It is, but I've an important message for Obi-Wan." Dooku said, his voice sounded... odd. Cold and hollow, like it was echoing in an empty hangar.

Qui-Gon frowned, looking up at the holo; "Forgive me, Master, but why don't you just call him?"

It was then that Qui-Gon noticed something else about his masters eyes. Once dark enough that they obscured the pupil, they appeared lighter now. It was just a trick of the holo, Qui-Gon told himself. It couldn't be what he was thinking.

"He has not been responding to his private frequency." Master Dooku said, his voice clipped. Qui-Gon knew from experience that his master didn't like it when he was ignored, "I do hope that dust ball of yours isn't getting in his way."

Qui-Gon's frowned deepened, "Master, we have been over this already." he said, irritated that Dooku hadn't dropped the issue about what happened in the lower levels, "What is your message? I'll give it to Obi-Wan in the morning. He's probably still in the Halls of Healing."

Master Dooku seemed to hesitate for a moment, the color of his eyes deepening suddenly before flaring bright, his pupils visible; "Just tell him to contact me as soon as he can. It is urgent." a pause, "That is all, Qui, I'm sorry for disturbing you so late."

"It is no trouble master." Qui-Gon said coolly, "I will let him know. I'm sure he is just resting and hasn't gotten to answer your call."

The hologram flickered out of existence for a moment, then came back, staticky and dim; "Yes... I'm sure that he is."

With that the call ended and Qui-Gon was left alone with his thoughts. He felt the force around him vibrate uncertainly, unease tinging the air around him. His master had seemed different, his voice stilted and his eyes strange. He was reminded, briefly of Rael Aveross, Dooku's first padawan. He recalled, how Rael seemed so comfortable with Dooku, how they had hugged and chatted easily. But Rael hadn't been himself in a long time. Not since he had killed his padawan after her mind was taken by a splicer dart. Not since he had to do it all over again when the princess of Pijal threatened the lives of thousands of slaves on a Czerka freighter. He remembered that mission. He had gone there to mediate, he had watched Rael begin to slip, he had watched Rael fall to the dark side in an ungraceful heap, surrendering to its despair while Qui-Gon had to fight for their lives. He remembered the sudden chill, the jolt of electricity that crackled in the air and fried their enemies to smoldering embers. He shuddered at the thought. What he remembered most from that day was his eyes. They had turned an eerie shade of molten gold. 

###

Master Dooku walked the empty halls of his home on Sorenno. He had informed the council, though he had yet to inform Obi-Wan, that he would be leaving the order soon so that he could assume the role as his planets leader. He walked briskly to the hangar bay, arms clasped tightly behind his back as he stood at attention, watching the small shuttle begin its landing sequence and bring itself down into the empty space next to his Solar Sailer. Dooku approached the shuttle silently, hands still held behind his back as the boarding ramp slowly descended, air hissing quietly. It was dark in the hangar, illuminated only by the lights and interior brightness of the shuttle. Descending from the ramp was an old man wearing a black robe, the hood drawn over his eyes. 

"Master Dooku, or is it Count Dooku, now?" The old man greeted. He wasn't alone, Dooku realized, watching another hooded figure step off after him, looking around the hangar with great disinterest.

"Count Dooku, my lord, I see you've brought a companion?" Dooku returned, nodding to the hooded figure that stood hunched over slightly behind his master.

"Indeed, Count, allow me to introduce you to Darth Maul." The old man gestured with his hand and his apprentice removed his hood.

The man was a red zabrack, his face was covered in black tattoos and his eyes were an ugly, unnatural yellow, red rimmed and seething with hatred. Count Dooku grimaced at the sight of him, offering a nod before returning his attention to the old man and gesturing for them to follow; "Please, come this way."

They walked through the halls of the palace and arrived shortly into a large sitting room. Dooku sent one of his droids to fetch some refreshments before sitting down across from the old man who raised his hands and pulled his hood back. Chancellor Palpatine had always struck Master Dooku as rather disarming. He bore the face of a friend and while he was shielding, his eyes were a soft blue. Now, however, it seemed that the lines of his face had sharpened considerably, and his eyes were the same glowing yellow as the zabraks behind him. His teeth were pointed in an unnatural way and the bags under his eyes were puffy and red, as if he had been smacked in the face. He barely looked human, and perhaps he wasn't. They hadn't come to discuss the chancellor's appearance, however.

"You will be revealing yourselves soon?" Dooku asked, taking a cup of tea that had been offered by the droid.

The chancellor took one of the other cups while Maul snarled, baring his teeth and the droid which skittered away in fright; "Yes. I will be sending Darth Maul to Naboo so that he may dispatch Senator Amidala. If all goes accordingly, the chaos caused by her death mingled with the Trade Federations involvement with the Separatist committee in the senate will be enough to start the Clone Wars."

"And you would like me to lead the Separatist in the Clone War?" Dooku asked, bringing his tea to his lips, seeming thoughtful, "This was your intention in the creation of the Clone Army?" He remembered, 10 years ago, before he had taken Obi-Wan as his padawan, when he had gone to Kamino with Syfo-Dias to commission the Clone Army with the help of Jango Fett. 

"When you leave the Jedi Order, it is imperative to have someone who is capable of keeping the members of the Separatists in line. With your, experience, as a Jedi and Sith Lord, we believe it would be most beneficial to have you as its leader." Chancellor Palpatine responded, sipping his tea as if he weren't talking about starting a galactic civil war.

Dooku leaned back for a moment, staring hard at his cup; "I would be honored to serve you as the leader of your opposition." 

Chancellor Palpatine smiled, baring his pointy teeth; "Good. Good, then we will begin our campaign immediately. I do have one slight concern, however. Your apprentice. Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"What about him, my lord?" Dooku asked, his expression becoming pinched. 

"I fear that he may stand in the way of our plans." Chancellor Palpatine said simply, "I'm afraid that he may have to be taken care of."

"I would prefer it if he would be left alone, my lord." Dooku managed, his voice pained, "I do not wish to have my apprentice destroyed."

"Unfortunately, if all is to go according to plan, then we have no other choice." Chancellor Palpatine said, his voice becoming wicked and serpentine, "He is too much of a liability. So long as he is alive, I'm afraid I can't be fully convinced of your loyalty."

"What if he were to join us?" Dooku asked suddenly, causing the Chancellor to pause, quirking his brow with interest. Dooku took a steadying breath, squeezing his cup tightly.

"Forgive me, Count, but if I recall, Obi-Wan Kenobi is known for being particularly loyal to the Jedi Order, especially the Jedi Council." Chancellor Palpatine mused.

"I know my apprentice better than anyone." Dooku said confidently, "I know that he is reasonable, and that I will be able to convince him of the futility of the Jedi."

"Hm, his future shall remain uncertain." Chancellor Palpatine said finally, setting his cup of tea down, his brows drawn together shrewd and calculating, "I will have to test his potential. When Maul goes to Naboo, he will capture Senator Amidala instead of killing her immediately. I will coordinate a rescue mission and see that Kenobi is sent to Naboo." 

"What will you have Maul do?" Dooku asked, his eyes flicking over to the zabrak who smiled wickedly.

"I will have him engage Kenobi, of course. If he has the potential to be a Sith, then he will prove it on Naboo." Chancellor Palpatine finished his cup of tea, "If not, then he will die. There is no mercy, Count. Do I make myself clear?"

Dooku looked down, his gut churning with unease; "Of course, my lord. It shall be done."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your support!


	11. in which Anakin and Obi-Wan have a heart to heart and then Anakin and Qui-Gon have a heart to heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the fun begins :)

Obi-Wan felt cold. All around him he was surrounded by an abysmal darkness and bone chilling cold that seemed to follow him wherever he went. He realized that he had been trapped in this vast expanse of nothingness, and couldn't escape. The panic set in shortly after that realization and he started to run, trying to escape the void around him. Flashes of memories, faces that he had seen somewhere but couldn't remember, he felt himself suddenly become tangled up and falling, landing hard on the ground and looking up to Anakin. It wasn't the Anakin he knew, however, the doppelgangers eyes were a molten gold and he leaned down, dripping with darkness and whispering, beckoning Obi-Wan to follow him into the darkness. Let it consume him. Anakin was gone, and he was alone, swallowed by the coldness around him. A voice came to him, one that he recognized. 

_Join me, Obi-Wan,_ the voice called, _join the Sith._

Obi-Wan woke suddenly, his chest hurt and his breath came quickly. He was alone in bed. The sun had yet to come up over the horizon. Obi-Wan took a moment to settle his breathing, feeling unusually cold, despite the room itself being warm. He shuddered, looking to the empty mess of blankets that Anakin must have vacated. They were still warm. Obi-Wan wondered if his dream had been inspired by Anakin leaving him in the night. He couldn't help but feel disappointed. He thought that Anakin would be different, that he'd hang around at least till morning. He felt foolish for thinking it. Not wanting to go back to sleep in fear that he would be assaulted in his dreams, he forced himself to his feet and went to the refresher. The voice still echoed in the back of his mind. He had heard that voice before. But who did it belong to? He couldn't place it.

When he came back from brushing his teeth, he noticed his commlink was blinking with several unopened messages, all from Master Dooku. Obi-Wan furrowed his brows, picking up the comm for a moment and staring at the blinking green light. He dropped it when a spike of cold went up his spine. The voice in his head belonged to Dooku. His Jedi Master, his teacher, asking him in his dreams to become a Sith? He shook his head. It simply wasn't possible. He remembered the lightning that shot from Master Dooku's fingers, the molten gold of his eyes, the bitter cold of the air in the cavern he'd fallen into. But he remembered the cold and the golden eyes that came from Anakin too. The difference, he realized, was that Master Dooku had been very intentional with his actions. Obi-Wan felt sick, the room around him spinning. He really wished Anakin were here.

Deciding that staying in his room wouldn't do him any good he left the commlink on his bed and headed out to the kitchen. The door hissed shut behind him when he saw Anakin half awake rummaging through the cupboards. Obi-Wan blinked once, twice, leaning back against the door and folding his arms over his chest. His head was still spinning and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He quirked a brow when Anakin didn't so much as turn to look at him, fumbling with a packet of instant caf. Obi-Wan cleared his throat and watched Anakin rip the packet open too fast, letting its contents fall all over the counter. The younger man whipped around like he was ready for a fight, but dropped his guard when he saw Obi-Wan.

"Obi... What are you doing up?" Anakin murmured, his voice still thick with sleep.

Obi-Wan felt himself warm up exponentially. Anakin was still here. Anakin hadn't left. Feeling somewhat overcome with emotion, he found himself leaving the door and going to the kitchen, pressing a light kiss to Anakin's cheek; "I got cold."

Anakin blinked at him a couple times, still not fully awake, he leaned back down and chased another kiss which Obi-Wan gave him even though Anakin's breath smelled rank. 

"I'm sorry." Anakin mumbled, leaning on the counter a bit, his eyes flicking back to the mess of caf grounds on the counter, "I think I made a mess."

"It's okay, I'll clean it up." Obi-Wan said, watching the younger man push himself up off the counter and retrieve another caf packet. Obi-Wan took the packet from him before he could make another mess, smirking at the rude noise he made, pressing another kiss to his chapped lips; "There's an extra toothbrush in my fresher. You should do something about your mouth, your breath smells awful." He teased.

Anakin's face turned bright scarlet, nodding to Obi-Wan as he shuffled his way back to the older padawan's room, flicking the light to the fresher on. Obi-Wan watched for a moment before turning and putting a cup of water into the zapper. He cleaned the mess off the counter and was sure to sweep up the floor too. He knew Master Dooku would have a loth cat if there were coffee grounds on his kitchen floor. Obi-Wan felt his heart stutter a bit, remembering his masters voice in the back of his head again. He heard the zapper beep at him and took the cup of hot water out, stirring the grounds until the dissolved with the wrapper. He couldn't push the words out of his mind, coupled with golden eyes and blue lightning. Were golden eyes and lightning signatures of the Sith? Obi-Wan wondered if he could look it up in the archive, but realized that even if there was a holocron on the Sith, he probably wouldn't be allowed to get his hands on it. He frowned, staring at the swirling black liquid when he felt Anakin come up behind him and wrap his arms around him.

Obi-Wan didn't blush very often but he felt his cheeks bloom into a bright shade of pink; "Anakin?" He mumbled, "What are you doing?"

"I can give you a kiss but I can't give you a hug?" Anakin asked, sounding much less sleepy now.

Obi-Wan scoffed, craning his neck and pressing a kiss to Anakin's cheek then lips, pleased that his breath didn't smell like a bantha; "I just wasn't expecting it, is all." he mused.

Anakin made another rude noise before swiping up his cup of caf and going to sit on the sofa. Obi-Wan began brewing a kettle of tea, losing himself to his thoughts again.

"You know you had a bunch of messages on your comm, right?" He heard Anakin's voice call from the sofa.

"I did, but they're all from Master Dooku, so I'm ignoring them." Obi-Wan responded, watching the water condense on the side of the kettle.

"Why are you ignoring Dooku?" Anakin asked and Obi-Wan scoffed.

"Master Dooku, Anakin, he's your superior." Obi-Wan corrected, pouring himself a cup of tea and joining Anakin on the sofa, "During the mission, when I was being attacked by the assassin, something strange happened to Master Dooku." He murmured.

Anakin put an arm over his shoulder lazily and Obi-Wan smiled into his tea, "What did _Master Dooku_ do?" the younger padawan asked, being sure to ununciate his words.

"His eyes turned gold and I think he used force lightning." Obi-Wan said, staring at his tea, "and it got really cold."

"Is that why you asked me what happened in the lower levels?" Anakin asked, quirking a brow at him.

"Yes, but when you did it I'm assuming it was an accident." Obi-Wan said, flicking his eyes to observe Anakin's reaction, "when Master Dooku did it, he was in complete control of himself."

Anakin frowned, sipping his caf and tilting his head up thoughtfully, his brows knitting together as he mulled over what Obi-Wan was saying. He took another long gulp of the caf before responding; "I mean, whenever it happens to me I sort of black out. I'm not in control of myself." Anakin explained, "Master Jinn had to knock me out the first time it happened. He seemed frightened when it happened but didn't mention it afterwards. He just doubled up on meditation training, which he knows I hate, so I don't know why he decided that was a good idea-" Anakin began to ramble and Obi-Wan listened for awhile before just tuning him out and escaping into his own thoughts. Maybe Qui-Gon knew something that could help him. 

"Are you even listening to me?" He heard Anakin ask and looked up to him, noticing the annoyed look on his face.

Obi-Wan smirked, leaning up and kissing him, watching the annoyance immediately vanish from the younger padawan's expression; "I wasn't, but I don't think you care about that right now." He teased.

Anakin huffed, leaning down, wanting another but Obi-Wan put a hand over his mouth; "Don't get carried away."

"You started it." Anakin said, licking Obi-Wan's palm causing him to jerk his hand away.

"ANAKIN!" 

"You started it!" Anakin laughed, resting his head down on Obi-Wan's shoulder and taking another sip of his caf.

Obi-Wan watched him for a moment before wiping his hand on Anakin's pants and finishing up his tea.

"Do you think Master Jinn is up?" Obi-Wan asked, checking the time. It was barely 0700.

"He usually gets up early, why?" Anakin asked, his voice taking on an accusatory note.

"I need to ask him something. About Master Dooku." Obi-Wan responded, rolling his eyes at Anakin's tone.

There was a soft knock at the apartments door, causing Obi-Wan and Anakin to immediately fly to opposite ends of the sofa. Obi-Wan got to his feet, he looked to Anakin; "You can't be here."

"Where in Sith Hells am I supposed to go!?"

"I don't know, hide!"

There was another knock on the door and Anakin scrambled into the kitchen, ducking behind the cupboards. Obi-wan made himself look presentable before going to answer the door. Master Yoda stood on the other side of the door, his hands folded neatly over his grimer stick. The old masters ears quirked up curiously but he didn't comment on Obi-Wan's disheveled appearance.

"Sorry for waking you, I am, Padawan Kenobi."

"It's no trouble at all, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan said, attempting to lean casually against the door frame, folding his arms over his chest and glancing back into his apartment, "What's going on? Did something happen to Master Dooku?" He asked, his worry bleeding over into the force.

"Heard from Master Dooku, we have. Wish to speak to you in private, I do." Master Yoda responded, tapping his stick on the floor once before turning.

"In private, Master Yoda?" Obi-Wan asked in alarm, quickly putting on a pair of slippers and tossing a look back into the apartment towards the kitchen before following Master Yoda down the hall, the door hissing shut behind him. 

###

Anakin stayed in the kitchen for several minutes after Obi-Wan had left. He didn't dare move until he was certain that they would be on the other side of the temple. After a few more minutes he slowly rose to his feet and gathered up his robes, half hazardly throwing his tunics on and tossing his tabards and belt over his shoulder. He opened the door and peaked out into the temple hallways, looking both ways before slipping out, letting the door hiss close and lock behind him as he made his way back to his own apartment. He couldn't believe that they had been caught. By Master Yoda of all Jedi. Anakin groaned to himself as he turned down the hall. At least Master Yoda wasn't known for making a big scene about these sorts of situations.

When he finally reached his apartment, he punched in the passcode and prayed to the force that Qui-Gon had gone to meditate in the Room of 1000 Fountains as he usually did in the morning. When he stepped into the apartment, however, his prayers had unfortunately gone unanswered. Qui-Gon was sat on the sofa with his feet up on the end table, nose buried in a datapad. The older man's eyes flicked up to Anakin, quirking a knowing brow at him.

"Would you like to sit down for a moment, Padawan?" Anakin cringed, feeling his face turn blotchy red with embarassment.

"Of course Master, uh, you aren't meditating today?" Anakin asked lamely, dropping his boots by the door and dropping his tabards in one of the chairs before slumping down beside his master.

"No, I tried to earlier. The force has not been agreeing with me as of late." Qui-Gon said depressively, picking up his cup of caf and sipping it thoughtfully, "I did stop by the Halls of Healing on my way back up to the apartment however. I do recall you saying that is where you would be." Qui-Gon said, his eyes falling on Anakin hard and the padawan shrunk away slightly.

"I'm sorry Master, that's where I thought I was going to be. But Healer Che let Obi-Wan go back to his apartment and he invited me to go with him so I did." Anakin said honestly. He didn't like lying to Qui-Gon. He was certain he'd be the death to him if he did.

Qui-Gon sighed, dropping the datapad down on the sofa and firmly planting his feet on the ground while rubbing a hand down his face; "You worried me, Anikin, I thought you had run off again."

"I learned my lesson the first time, Master, I wouldn't have done it again." Anakin said, not trying to hide the hurt in his voice.

Qui-Gon grimaced slightly and offered him a pained smile; "I'm sorry, Ani, I should have had more faith in you." After a long pause, he stood up; "Would you like some caf?"

"I had some when I was at Obi-Wan's apartment." 

"Another wouldn't hurt you." 

Anakin huffed, grinning at his master who grinned back, going to fetch them both a fresh cup of caf. Anakin awkwardly tugged at his robes, realizing he had his tunic on inside out and flushed scarlet. He pulled it off and put it back on again properly. Qui-Gon returned and offered Anakin a cup of caf which he accepted, still stewing in his embarassment.

"How is Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon decided to ask after another long moment, deciding it would be one of the lesser embarrassing questions for him to ask.

"He's fine." Anakin managed to say, busying himself by drinking the too hot liquid, "He wasn't hurt as badly as before, made a full recovery after one go in the bacta tank." Anakin hesitated for a moment, "Can I ask you about something, Master?"

"You can ask me anything, Anakin. You can tell me anything too. You know that, right?" Qui-Gon urged. Not exactly where Anakin was going with this but he decided to keep his masters words in mind.

"Obi-Wan told me that when I attacked him, my eyes turned gold." Anakin began quietly, staring at his cup distantly, "and he told me that it felt cold when it happened to. What does that mean, Master? Why did my eyes turn gold and why was it so cold all of a sudden?"

Qui-Gon's enthusiasm faltered slightly and he looked away, his brows knitted together in thought. He picked up his cup of caf, taking a long sip before carefully setting the cup back down, collecting his thoughts; "I can't say anything for certain, Anakin, but from my past experience and research, when a force wielder touches the dark side of the force, their eyes turn yellow and the force around them is drained of its vitality, causing the air to become cold."

Anakin frowned at that, looking down now; "Master, what you're saying," he began but soon became lost for words, "You're saying that I used the dark side?" He finally managed, looking to his master and searching his eyes.

Qui-Gon nodded, not saying anything as he looked away. It was quiet for a long time after that. Neither of them touched their coffee or got up or moved at all. The weight of Qui-Gon's revelation hung heavy over Anakin's head and made his gut twist uncomfortably. That must have been why Obi-Wan was afraid of him. He had been using the dark side so much that it leaked into the force. The terror that gripped him at the realization made him shudder. Not Obi-Wan. He couldn't do that to Obi-Wan ever again. 

"Does that mean I'm a Sith?" Anakin finally choked out, his eyes threatening tears that Qui-Gon quickly dispelled, pulling Anakin into a warm hug, which Anakin returned, feeling his breathing become ragged.

"No, Anakin, no." Qui-Gon assured quietly, pulling back after a moment and squeezing Anakin's shoulder firmly, "You're not a Sith. To be a Sith is to enjoy the suffering of others. To enjoy causing pain and revelling in your own negative emotions. Having negative emotions and experiencing the dark side does not make you a Sith. If that were the case, we would all be Sith."

Anakin sniffed a bit, pawing at his eye, the threat of tears still lingering; "Even Master Windu?"

"Even Master Windu."

"... Master Yoda?"

"Everyone has a dark side, Anakin." Qui-Gon said softly, "Master Yoda chooses to ignore his. He doesn't accept the darkness. Doesn't understand it. Therefore, he can never rid himself of it. Just like many other Jedi." his master sighed heavily, leaning back into the sofa, "But just because it's something that isn't addressed nearly as often as it should be, doesn't mean that they're not Jedi either. And you are most certainly not a Sith, so don't go around saying or thinking it." Qui-Gon said sternly and Anakin nodded, fidgeting with the sleeves of his tunic as he thought.

"Master, when I was with Obi-Wan, he told me that Master Dooku had used the dark side. That he used something called force lightning." Anakin said quietly, glancing to his master and felt his stomach flip at the way the color drained from his masters face.

"Obi-Wan said that?" Qui-Gon asked quietly, looking down in evident horror.

Anakin swallowed, wondering if he should tell Qui-Gon about what had happened in the hallway. He wondered if Qui-Gon would believe him. Deciding it would be better to say something that to not say something, he spoke up; "Master, I think, I think Master Dooku used that force lightning on me before."

Qui-Gon looked to Anakin in alarm, the panic in the force hitting him like a wave crashing to shore, "He what?" Qui-Gon sputtered, "Anakin, are you lying to me?"

Anakin shook his head fervently, "No, master, I'm not lying, he really did! You can look into my mind if you don't believe me!"

"When did this happen, Anakin? Tell me when this happened!" Qui-Gon demanded, rising to his feet. The force around them was oil slick and dark, the warmth slowly receding at the violent maelstorm of emotion.

"After I attacked Obi-Wan in the lower levels." Anakin said quietly, "He confronted me and told me that he believed it was all my fault and then when I tried to argue with him he shot me with the force lightning."

Qui-Gon's expression was grave as he listened to Anakin's confession. He rubbed a hand down his face, "Karking sithspit. Kriffing son of a sleemo." Qui-Gon muttered, forcing himself not to lash out or do anything rash. Not in front of Anakin when he was being so vulnerable. He had already made the mistake of raising his voice and was utterly grateful that his padawan hadn't gone running away.

"We need to report this to the council. Immediately." Qui-Gon said, covering his face with his hands before moving them up and gripping his hair in an attempt to ground himself in the present; "Get dressed. We're going to the council. Now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A double update?? What in tarnation?? Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, lots of fluff this time aroud, thank you for all your support!


	12. in which the council can't do anything, Obi-Wan is tired (again), and Padme is a BAMF

Their boots hit the ground in sync. Anakin was in a fresh set of tunics, his tabards tucked neatly under his obi and belt. Qui-Gon walked beside him, his pace brisk, his feet landing heavily on the temples floor, echoing in the still empty halls as sunlight began to bleed through the windows. Anakin's head was still spinning. The Sith were real, and more importantly, they were apparently alive, well, and far closer to home than what would have been comfortable. It made his stomach lurch, churning with discomfort. Anakin thought about Obi-Wan, how he held his master at such high regard, he wondered if Obi-Wan had come to the same conclusion that Qui-Gon had and was simply denying it until the truth was thrown into his face like a splatter of blood.

They finally arrived at the door to the council chambers, Qui-Gon didn't so much as knock, pushing the door open. Many members of the council were absent, off world and scattered in the outer rim on mercy missions. Of those who were there, Master Yoda, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi Mundi, Shaak Ti, and Depa Billaba. They all looked to the intruders, their force signatures laced with irritation save for Master Windu, who's mind seemed to be preoccupied elsewhere.

"Something troubles you, Master Jinn, unease in the force around you, I sense." Master Yoda croaked out, gripping the grimer stick that sat across his lap.

Qui-Gon gave a curt bow; "Yes, masters, forgive the intrusion, something truly disturbing has come to my attention and I could not afford to wait to call a proper meeting."

The masters eyed eachother, their signatures becoming clouded as their resentment fell away to a creeping sense of dread. 

_Something had happened here_ , Anakin thought, and his mind immediately jumped to Obi-Wan. Master Yoda had pulled him away earlier that morning, after all. _Did something happen to him?_

"What do you wish to tell us, Master Jinn?" Master Windu asked, leaning forward in his seat and eyeing the tall man wearily.

"It involves Master Dooku." Qui-Gon announced and the anxiety in the force spiked in a way that was sickening. Qui-Gon looked around the room, his force signature bleeding with confusion, "Did something happen to my old master? Why is the force so troubled?" he demanded.

Master Windu and Master Yoda exchanged a glance, "Master Dooku has left the Jedi Order." Master Windu said carefully, "His home planet of Sorenno required a ruler, and he was next in line to the throne, so he expelled himself."

Qui-Gon sucked in a hissing breath; "I see, the information I'm about to give you than is far more unsettling." Qui-Gon glanced to Anakin who looked down at his boots before returning his attention to the masters before him; "I believe that Dooku either is a Sith or in collaboration with them. My Padawan, Anakin, he told me that Master Dooku had attacked him with force lightning in the temple. He also told me that Padawan Kenobi witnessed Master Dooku use force lightning on the assassin during their mission." 

A startled murmur broke out among the masters in the room. Anakin watched Master Windu slowly drop his head into his hands, pained and uncertain. He felt helpless, another problem to slowly eat away in the back of his mind. 

"Master Yoda, where is-" He corrected himself, not wanting to get caught for being with Obi-Wan that morning, though he suspected Master Yoda already knew, "Does Padawan Kenobi know about this?" 

The green master looked down slowly, his eyes troubled and his lips persed. His ears drooped down as he thought; "Informed, Padawan Kenobi was, earlier this morning. If he shall be assigned a new master or be granted knighthood, the council has yet to decide."

"Then... Where is Padawan Kenobi?" Anakin asked, sifting through the force signatures around the temple, he couldn't find Obi-Wan anywhere. 

The masters all exchanged glances, pinning Anakin down with scrutinizing eyes, but Master Windu spoke before anyone else had the opportunity to "Padawan Kenobi has been requested by the supreme chancellor to escort Senator Amidala back to Naboo. An attempt on her life was made yesterday and the senate has deemed it too dangerous for her to be on Coruscant." 

Anakin blinked, he remembered Senator Amidala. When he had met her, she had been queen of Naboo, and he had thought her to be the most beautiful woman in the entire galaxy. He still did, but if she were the most beautiful woman then Obi-Wan was the most beautiful man, and having them be together sent a streak of jealousy across his eyes which he quickly stuffed back down. Time and place. Now was neither the time or place to be worrying about beautiful people being together.

"Masters, is it not dangerous to send Obi-Wan away on his own after learning that his master has left the order?" Qui-Gon's voice cut through Anakin's thoughts, his tone incredulous, "He needs time to digest this information!"

"It was not our decision to send him." Shaak Ti spoke defensively.

"We had no choice, the supreme Chancellor was very specific and very clear." Ki-Adi added, "because Padawan Kenobi has worked with Senator Amidala in the past, he was deemed most fit to assist her. She had been refusing assistance until the chancellor had suggested Padawan Kenobi, who she was familiar with."

"Is she not familiar with us?" Qui-Gon asked, gesturing to himself and Anakin.

"Change the chancellors mind, we could not. Despite our better judgement, sent to Naboo, Padawan Kenobi was." Master Yoda responded, his old voice sounded especially raw.

"Then send us to reinforce him." Anakin suggested suddenly, stepping forward, "Masters, I don't think we're aware of everything that is going on yet. Obi- Padawan Kenobi might be in danger, we don't know what Master Dooku will do now that he isn't being held by the restraints of the Order. He might go after him! We have to help!" Anakin shut his mouth when he felt Qui-Gon roughly squeeze his shoulder and pull him back, his expression pinched.

The masters spoke amongst themselves, seeming uncertain. Master Yoda and Master Windu exchanged a glance; "What makes you so certain that Padawan Kenobi is in danger, Padawan Skywalker?" Master Windu asked, his dark eyes hard.

Anakin took a shaky breath, trying to keep his voice level; "I just know, master. I know he's in danger." 

"Send you to reinforce Padawan Kenobi based on a feeling, we cannot." Master Yoda chided, tapping his stick on the ground, "Wait for more information, we will. If indeed a Sith, Master Dooku is, we will soon find out." He tapped his stick one last time, "dismissed, you and your master are." 

Anakin and Qui-Gon were booted out of the council room, the door hissing shut behind them. Qui-Gon was silent as Anakin seethed beside him, making their way back to the apartment.

"I cannot believe they won't let us help!" 

"I know, Anakin."

"Don't they realize what this could mean? Dooku is super attached to Obi-Wan, I doubt that he would just let him go!"

"I know, Anakin, but there is nothing we can do about it." Qui-Gon stopped and looked at his apprentice, his voice pained.

"No, that's what you said last time, but there's always something we can do!" Anakin said fiercely, "I'm going after Obi-Wan!"

"Not without my permission, you aren't!" Qui-Gon snapped and Anakin cringed. Qui-Gon put his hands on Anakin's shoulders and squeezed, trying to convey to him with his eyes just how difficult this was for him; "I want to help too, Anakin. I really do. But we can't do that right now, not without the Council's permission. We might make the situation worse if we go to help. So we have to wait." he said quietly, his voice pleading.

Anakin looked down, blinking as tears slowly began to prick the corners of his eyes. He let out a shaky breath; "Sorry, master. I didn't mean to."

"I know, Anakin." Qui-Gon pulled Anakin into another hug and let his padawan press his face into his shoulder, sobbing, "I know."

###

"We're entering atmo." 

Obi-Wan opened his eyes, looking up to Padme who was dressed in her civilian clothes. If it weren’t for her beauty, they’d have fit right in. They were sneaking through the trade federations blockade on a refugee vessel. He had meditated for a majority of their flight, standing now so that he could stretch his limbs, tossing his padawan braid over his shoulder. He realized just how tired he was, after all, he had just learned that his master was leaving the order, abandoning him. To make matters worse, he was being forced by order of the supreme chancellor to escort Senator Amidala back to Naboo. Nothing made him resent the creepy old politician more than being forced to go on a mission after such a devastating blow. He had felt so cold and alone since Master Yoda informed him of his masters departure and his mission with the senator in the darkened council chambers. He still felt alone, surrounded by unfamiliar people, headed to a planet he barely remembered. 

He offered Padme a nod, beginning to gather the senators suitcases. He didn't mean to be so frigid with her, Padme had been nothing but kind to him since their early morning departure. It didn't help that she reminded him of Satine. He grimaced slightly when the thought crossed his mind and he perished it immediately. He didn't want to be thinking about Satine right now. He didn't want to think about anything.

He was so caught up stewing in his self loathing that he jumped when he felt Padme’s hand on his shoulder; "Obi-Wan, what's wrong?" She asked seriously, her wide eyes searching and her brows furrowed with concern.

Obi-Wan offered her a weak smile; "It's nothing, Padme." He bit out, "It's just been an eventful morning, is all."

Padme offered a humorless laugh and Obi-Wan cringed, "you're telling me?" She said easily, sitting down and folding her hands on her lap, "try having someone make an attempt on your life for preventing the creation of an army."

"Try learning that your master has left the Jedi order and abandoned you." Obi-Wan snapped and regretted it when he saw the hurt cross Padme's face, "Forgive me, Padme, that was uncalled for. Your life is very important. I'm afraid I haven't been keeping up with politics, so I don't understand the gravity of your circumstance." Obi-Wan managed to spit out.

"Allow me to enlighten you, then," Obi-Wan desperately tried to hide his displeasure as Padme began rattling off about the military creation act and how chancellor Palpatine has been in office years after his term was supposed to end, and how the Separatist committee is becoming more and more agitated by that fact. How she fears the Republic Senate is becoming corrupt with corporate interest. How she can't do anything to stop it. 

Obi-Wan felt his stomach flip as he listened to her. It seemed that they were both helpless. Abandoned and threatened in their day to day lives, forced to wake up every day and do it over and over again. He could not help the resentment he felt about it. What had they done to deserve such misery? 

The shuttle began its landing sequence and Obi-Wan sat beside Padme, watching as other passengers took their seats so that they wouldn't be tossed around during the landing. Most were young families, displaced from their home worlds torn apart by civil war. After what felt like an eternity, they landed and were being shuffled off of the vessel in a cramped line. Obi-Wan was sure to keep Padme close by, eventually putting a hand on her shoulder and guiding her forward, much to her indignant protest. He wanted to roll his eyes at her, tell her that he was doing this to keep her safe, but he knew better than to argue with politicians.

After getting off the shuttle they were put on a speeder transport and were on their way to Theed. Obi-Wan resumed his meditation, carefully compartmentalizing his thoughts and feelings so that he could stuff them as far down as he could. He hadn't expected his day to go this way. He had felt so elated, happy even, only to be crushed by the reality of the world around him. His master was gone and he was alone. The order didn't even know what to do with him. He thought, bitterly, that they would just ship him off to the agricorps like they had wanted to do in the first place. It didn't matter if he was the best of them. It didn't seem to matter to Master Dooku either. The thought left a deep ache in his heart. He stuffed that down too, projecting nothing but serenity and calm composure.

They finally reached the Theed royal palace, Obi-Wan gathering up Padme's luggage and following her as she stepped briskly off the transport, looking around curiously.

"That's strange," she commented, "I don't see any guards around." 

"Indeed." Obi-Wan looked around, his brows furrowed, "Stay close to me, Padme." He murmured and she nodded as they began to ascend the steps of the palace. The force gave no hint of danger, so he assumed they were safe.

The large doors creaked open and they looked around. The palace's foyer was empty, the lights dimmed. The door slowly creaked shut behind them.

"This is wrong." Obi-Wan said quietly, the force spiking a sudden warning, "We need to get out of here-"

He wasn't able to finish, suddenly thrown across the room, away from the senator who shrieked in fear. Obi-Wan managed to roll onto his side, his head splitting in pain as his body tried to re-calibrate itself. He couldn't tell which way was up and was barely able to lift his head and see a red zabrak with black tattoos and golden eyes that glinted dangerously standing in front of the senator. He held Padme by the throat, watching her writhe in his grip as she tried to kick him. He spat an ugly laugh at her, turning his attention to Obi-Wan as the young Jedi finally stumbled to his feet.

"So, you're this Obi-Wan Kenobi." The zabrak sneered, testing the name on his tongue, "I was expecting someone," he took a stuttering breath in, "taller."

Obi-Wan barked a laugh, not knowing what else to do as his world started to crumble around him. The Sith had returned and they were no longer hiding themselves. He could feel the force around them churn, cold and tainted with the blood of too many innocent people. It fed the zabraks power, giving him strength in the dark side of the force. Obi-Wan realized, distantly, that the palace was frigid. He hadn't noticed it since he himself had been so cold since departing Coruscant. He had been a blind fool. 

"You know my name," Obi-Wan drawled, almost lazily; "but I don't know yours." He drew his lightsaber, igniting it and watching the Zabrak with eyes that belonged to a starving man. He had been so hurt, so angry, and he finally had the opportunity to _do_ something about it. He could finally release all his pent up emotion. It startled him when he realized what he was doing. He had drawn his weapon first. He never drew his weapon first.

"I am Darth Maul, sith lord, and your doom." The zabrak hissed, squeezing Padme's neck causing her to cry out in fear.

"Obi- Obi-Wan help me!" she cried out.

Obi-Wan felt a shot of cold rush up his spine. He bared his teeth, every muscle in his body begging him to move; "Let. Her. Go." He said slowly, taking a step forward with every word.

The zabrak, Maul, gave a howling laugh; "Or what? You'll destroy me?" he taunted.

Obi-Wan didn't know what took over him, he threw his hand up; "Yes."

One of the pillars that held up the palaces roof came crashing down, Maul barely had time to move out of the way. Obi-Wan took his chance, rushing forward and snatching Padme out of his grip. Jumping back and holding her small body tightly against his. She was sobbing, her neck bruised and her eyes wide in shock. He landed hard a few feet away from the rubble, keeping an eye on the zabrak who snarled as he shook the dirt off his robes.

"Padme, are you alright?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, holding her close. 

Padme sobbed, nodding weakly, standing on wobbly legs; "Yes, yes I'm fine, I, we have to call for help!" She said, renewing her resolve in a way that Obi-Wan might have found admirable if the circumstances were a bit different.

He nodded to her, being sure to keep himself between the senator and the apparent Sith lord who paced around them like a wild animal, bent on the hunt.

"Padme, I need you to run." Obi-Wan said quietly, and the senator looked to him in alarm; "I need you to run and contact the Jedi temple. I'll hold him off, as long as I can, but I need you to run. Run, and get help. Don't call the senate, don't call anyone else, call the Jedi." He looked at her hard, trying to convey only with his eyes the gravity of his words, frustrated when he saw the flicker of defiance that danced across her face. _"GO.”_ he said, his words laced with suggestion. He hadn’t had to use a mind trick in awhile.

Padme bit her lip, her eyes unfocused for a second as she tried to fight against the suggestion but ultimately failed. She turned quickly and made a break for the exit. Maul tried to go after her but Obi-Wan grappled him with an oily tendril in the force, throwing him hard to the other side of the foyer. He reignited his blade, twirling it lazily as he made his advance; "I thought you came here to see me?" he drawled.

The zabrack snarled and ignited his blade, lunging forward and Obi-Wan could feel the kyber crystal cry out in pain, the red that bled off its edge told Obi-Wan it had many victims. Obi-Wan felt the force within him begin to unravel, whispers of revenge, of repent for those who had died at this monsters hand.

Blue and red clashed in a blinding display of light versus dark. 

###

Padme was running down the steps of the palace when she was intercepted by an entire battalion of B1 Battle droids. Alarmed, she made for the bushes her mind still buzzing with the aftershock of Obi-Wan's mind trick. 

_That sleemo!_ She thought to herself, wading through the thick bushes as she snuck around to the back of the palace, patting at her utility belt and producing a grappling hook which she aimed and shot up into the side of the building, tugging at the cord to make sure it wouldn't fall out, _that bloody son of a bantha!_

She scaled the wall, letting the grappling hook pull her up as she looked down over her shoulder. The battledroids walked under her, not looking up and not noticing as she slipped into the palace through the window. There were no servants and no guards on this level of the palace either, and she felt her gut twist grimly. Either they were being held somewhere else or they were dead, and both scenarios spelled disaster. She snuck through the halls, poking her head out and scanning the area before continuing on her search. If the palace had not been surrounded, she would have sought help from one of the residents who lived in the palace town, but when her plans backfired as they so often did, she realized she had become immensely good at improvising.

Slipping down yet another empty corridor, she finally arrived at her destination. She just prayed that the power was still on, but with the lights being so dim, she thought her chances of even that were slim. Padme found herself praying to whatever deity came to mind, even to the force as she pushed open the door leading to the communication tower. The screens were all black and she cursed herself, attempting to boot up one of the consoles and slamming her fist into the screen when it wouldn't activate.

To her utter relief, after giving the console enough percussive maintenance, it's screen glitched to life. Flickering as the emergency power generator began booting up. A fail-safe. Just in case the palace was under siege and they attacked the main generators. She was pleased to see that whoever their attacker was, they weren't smart enough to cover all their bases. She punched in her executive code, waiting for the sequence to go through when she heard footsteps coming down the hall. They were organic, not bearing the distinct metal clanging of the battle droids. 

_Kriff kriff kriff._

She quickly powered down the console and jumped into one of the cramped service cabinets, sliding the door shut, leaving only a small crack so that she could see who it was. To her surprise, when the door opened none other than Jedi Master Dooku stood at the entrance. She almost let out a sigh of relief but quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. She remembered Obi-Wan mentioning that Master Dooku had left the Jedi Order. So what was he doing here on Naboo?

The old master slowly prowled around the room, looking at the black screens of the consoles. Padme found her heart pounding heavy against her chest, watching as the old man passed right by her, obscuring the light momentarily as he paused in front of the service cabinet. She saw his brows furrow as he reached forward towards the handle, forcing herself not to sob when she heard the door to the room hiss open.

"Darth Maul has engaged Padawan Kenobi, my lord."

Dooku turned away from the service cabinet; "Where are they now?"

"They are heading down to the reactor chamber."

She heard Dooku's heavy footfall slowly recede, then the door hiss shut behind him as he hurried down the hall. She breathed a sigh of relief and after a few more moments, slid the cabinet door open and peaked around the empty room. Obi-Wan Kenobi, saving her life time and time again. She slipped out of the cabinet and went back to the console, booting it up again and waiting impatiently for the screen to light up. Time was of the essence. When the console finally finished calibrating she punched in the Jedi temples frequency. The moment she connected she spoke hurriedly over the masters.

"This is Padme Amidala of the Galactic Senate! Please send help!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! They're happening so fast! I'm very grateful for all of your comments, I'm sorry if my replies feel stilted! It's hard to get to all of them but I am trying! Thank you for all of your support!


	13. in which Anakin was right and Obi-Wan battles the first Sith Lord in almost 1000 years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've all been waiting for!

_"This is Padme Amidala of the Galactic Senate! Please, send help!"_

The senators words rattled in the back of Anakin's skull as he and Qui-Gon ran to the hangar. It was past curfew, the nocturnal Jedi watching the two as they scrambled to their shuttle. Artoo beeped at them quizzically, but Qui-Gon waved his hand at the droid, starting the engines and booting up the navi computer. Anakin sat in the pilot seat, flicking switches, checking gauges. The familiar motions eased some of his anxiety, but not a lot as he glanced nervously to Qui-Gon who was hitting one of the consoles till its screen glitched to life.

_"The palace of Theed has been taken! There are several B1 Battledroid battalions circling the perimeter. I've lost contact with Obi-Wan, he engaged the enemy, this, this Sith Lord! I thought the Sith were just a myth! His lightsaber, I had never seen anything like it!"_

Master Yoda had called Qui-Gon and Anakin back to the council chambers, disturbing their relatively peaceful dinner. He played Senator Amidala's message back to them, then immediately sent them off on a mission to Naboo. 

_"Call Jedi in neighboring systems, we will. Hurry, we must, if we are to save Senator Amidala and Obi-Wan."_

"I was right." Anakin said under his breath as he initiated the take off sequence, "Nobody ever listens to me! I knew he was in trouble!"

"Enough, Padawan." Qui-Gon snapped, gripping the co-pilot controls, "We cannot change the past." 

Despite the rebuke, Anakin could sense Qui-Gon's guilt and exasperation. If only the council had listened to them, then this wouldn't have happened. But the council seldom listened to anyone but themselves. They exited the hangar and made for the space lane that would send them off world. As they did, they passed a ship headed back towards the temple. Anakin could just barely pick up the force signatures of Aalya and Quinlan returning from their mission in the outer rim. He felt his gut twist, wanting to jerk his controls so that they'd scrape up against the side of the other Jedi's vessel, but he didn't want to give Qui-Gon a reason to revoke his flying privileges. It was not long before they were a safe enough distance from the planet to make the jump to hyper space.

"Did you program the navi computer?" Anakin asked, practically vibrating in his seat.

"Yes, flight path locked." Qui-Gon confirmed, putting his hand on the lever and flicking his eyes to Anakin, "Punch it."

The starry void vanished into a blue spiral as they made the jump. It would be roughly 12 hours before they arrived on Naboo. Anakin just hoped they wouldn't be too late.

###

Quinlan Vos awkwardly stood before the council, his padawan, Aalya Secura, stood beside him, looking bored and rocking on her heels. He could imagine a multitude of other places his young apprentice would like to be and all of them were not standing before a group of very grumpy masters. Quinlan wondered distantly if something happened. None of his concern, really. He wanted to make his report and go for a drink.

"Your mission in the outer rim, successful, it was?" Master Yoda asked tentatively, the green master looked tired, his wrinkles cut especially deep. 

Quinlan arched a brow, he hadn't expected something to be capable of rattling Master Yoda, yet the old master seemed especially troubled today; "Yes, the dispute was settled with minimal casualties. Clean up was easy too." Quinlan said, his eyes looking between the sparce collection of masters that sat before him.

"Dismissed, your padawan is." Master Yoda said, nodding to Aalya whose shoulders slacked in relief. She gave a quick bow, turned, turned back, gave a much more respectful bow, then bounced out of the council room.

Quinlan watched her go, letting a smile slip across his lips before it vanished and he returned his attention to the council members; "Whatever your problem is, it's not my fault." He said hesitantly, wondering if that Anakin kid had said something about him. He had hoped the sudden chill and oily slick that dripped down one of the temples coridoors had just been his imagination. He would find out soon enough.

"This isn't about you, Vos." Master Windu's voice was tight, his brows knitted together, a bulging vein had appeared on the side of his head that Quinlan unintentionally found himself staring at. It was hard not to, Master Windu being bald and everything.

"Then what is it about?" Quinlan asked, raising his arms up as if to challenge him. He really didn't want to be here right now.

Master Yoda nodded to Shaak Ti, who produced a small dart from the folds of her robes. She offered the dart to Quinlan.

"Found, this was, at the scene of an assassination attempt. Discover who it belongs to, you must." Master Yoda spoke urgently.

Quinlan furrowed his brows, snatching the dart from Shaak Ti's delicate hand. Immediately, the object spoke to him. He saw endless white hallways, a young boy with a stupid hair cut, a man wearing Mandalorian armor, and an army of men who looked just like him. Clones, Quinlan realized, as he snapped out of his trance, frowning. He looked to the members of the council, all of whom sat at the edge of their seats expectantly. Quinlan held the dart up, studying its design. He hadn't seen anything like it before.

"This dart belongs to a man with Mandalorian armor." Quinlan said, "You're not going to believe me, but there were several thousands of people who looked just like this man. Clones, I suspect. A whole army of them." 

The tension in the council's chamber drew suddenly taut, like a rubber band preparing to snap.

"A clone army." Master Windu repeated, looking to Master Yoda who's expression had not changed.

"If an army, there is, find it, you must." The green master said finally, looking up to Quinlan's eyes; "Meditate on this, I will. Dismissed, you are." 

Quinlan exited the council chambers, the door softly hissing shut behind him as he stared at the dart. He usually had a knack for these sorts of things, but his vision revealed little to him. He'd need to ask for help. His first thought was to ask Obi-Wan, since the younger man had been a lot of places and seen a lot of things, but after a quick sweep of the temple, Quinlan realized he was nowhere to be found. He had sensed Anakin and Qui-Gon leaving as he and Aalya were returning. He had to supress the urge to ram against their ship. 

_Probably good that they're not here_ , Quinlan thought to himself, making his way to the temple exit and descending the steps. He didn't want to get into any more trouble.

Making his way down to the lower levels, offering a nod to a few of the street sweepers as he went, he jumped off the platform and landed neatly on the ground, headed in the direction of Dexter's Diner. He remembered the first time he had gone here, unsurprisingly, with Obi-Wan. He couldn't believe how someone so small could eat so much, Obi-Wan would have two burgers, a plate of fries, and however many glasses of jawa juice Dex was willing to give him. It was one of the reasons Quinlan found him so endearing. He stopped outside the door, looking down at his boots for a moment. He really wished he hadn't kriffed up, usually Obi-Wan didn't mind a quick roll in the sheets so he thought it would be okay. Delicacy was never his strong suit.

Stepping into the sweaty diner he was greeted by a pink waitress droid who's lifeless blue eyes blinked at him momentarily before turning towards the kitchen; "Someone to see you, honey! Jedi, I'm guessing!" she called before scooting away on her monowheel. 

Quinlan stayed near the door, rocking on his heels.

Dex was a big guy. A Besalisk alien with four strong arms and enough weight to knock down a building. He stomped out of the kitchen with a sauntering step and a wide grin on his face; "Well well well, Quin! I didn't think I'd see your face around here again." He grabbed Quinlan by the collar and shook him a bit, "Not after Obi-Wan came by here in tears after you dumped him."

Quinlan cringed, "I didn't dump him, we weren't even a thing, so don't say it like that." He bit out.

Dex spat a laugh, "Right, I forget you Jedi have that 'no sex' rule. My understanding is that it's more of a guideline, isn't it?"

Quinlan sighed, any other time he'd have gone round and round with Dex but right now he was tired and depressed and desperately wanted to drink away his problems; "Let's talk about it some other time." Quinlan managed, taking the dart out from his pocket and showing it to Dex who arched his brow curiously, taking the dart from his hand to study it.

"Well," Dex mused, tilting it between his fingers, "What do you know."

"Recognize it?" Quinlan asked, folding his arms over his chest.

Dex dropped his gaze to him, "It's one of those Kaminoan poison darts. I haven't seen one of them in, oh, it's been a few years."

Quinlan arched his brow, "Kaminoan? What in Sith hells is that?"

"Kaminoan's, damn good cloners the lot of them. From that water planet Kamino in the outer rim." Dex said, returning the dart to Quinlan's waiting hand.

"Cloners, huh?" _That would explain the army_ , Quinlan thought as he looked at the dart then back to Dex, "Know who they do business with?"

"They're friendly, if that's what you're asking." Dex offered a shrug before grinning wolfishly, "Friendly if you've got a big pocket book, that is." 

Quinlan frowned, dropping his gaze back to the dart. Looks like he wouldn't be able to drink that night after all.

###

The smell of ozone was nauseating. Obi-Wan twirled his lightsaber idly for a moment, desperately wanting to tear his outer tunics off but didn't think he'd get the opportunity to. He quickly swung his saber, parrying a blow from the snarling zabrak who he'd so recklessly engaged. He should have waited for back up, but he didn't have time back-up, he thought bitterly. His master wasn't going to be able to help him this time. They were making their way through the palace, Maul recklessly swinging his saber in strong sweeping movements, all precise despite the roiling chaotic energy that fell off the Sith in crashing waves of raw power. Obi-Wan would have been impressed by his control if the circumstances were different. 

He dropped to his knees as Maul took a wide swing, then rolled out of the way when the zabrak brought his red blade down. Obi-Wan had begun anticipating his move much to Maul's growing exasperation. Obi-Wan would have let himself get cocky but didn't dare, especially since he didn't know the extent of his opponents abilities. Maul wasn't like Master Windu or Anakin or Master Dooku. He was a Sith, and after going toe to toe with him for awhile, Obi-Wan came to the conclusion that he wasn't a master of any particular style. Maul would switch erratically between Djem So and Juyo, and while Obi-Wan had anticipated Juyo, since it was the preferred form of the Sith, every now and then he would surprise him with a block taken from Soresu or an attack from Makashi. He never used Ataru though, which made Obi-Wan think he wasn't familiar with it. Obi-Wan decided that if Maul wasn't familiar with Ataru, he would have the best chance of winning using it. So, he switched from Soresu to a high jump with Ataru, landing behind Maul and attempting to take off the zabraks arm.

"Oh, you slithering little brat!" The zabrak sneered, just barely stepping out of Obi-Wan's reach. They were nearing the palace's reactor room, the glowing plasma doors flickering on and off rhythmically. 

"If you don't want to keep going, you are welcome to surrender." Obi-Wan taunted, twirling his saber lazily before surging forward and attempting a sweeping blow across Maul's midsection.

Maul jumped back out of the way, barking a laugh; "A Sith doesn't surrender! Especially to puny Jedi like you!"

"Really? I think it would be in your best interest to give up now! Reinforcements are well on their way." Obi-Wan jumped again, his blade hissing through the air as he swung down in quick succession, moving quickly in an attempt to overwhelm the sith.

Maul didn't have time to answer, too focused on blocking Obi-Wan's overwhelming attacks. The force around them spun viciously, like a vortex at the bottom of an endless abyss. It was cold and empty, causing a field of negative energy that made the lights flicker around them. Obi-Wan was relentless, attacking with wild abandon, drawing on muscle memory more than actual skill or tactic. He didn't care how his attacks landed, so long as they did and they were strong enough to push Maul back, and led to his victory. Obi-Wan was again startled by himself. He didn't fight to win but now it was all he wanted. _**More more more**_. Until the Sith was on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

Obi-wan pushed Maul hard, hoping to get the Sith caught up in the energy field, but the zabrak corrected himself and now there was a glowing wall that separated them. Maul began to pace the length of the plasma field, his eyes hungry and his teeth bared. Obi-Wan watched him, twirling his saber and bouncing on his toes. He wanted this fight to be over. He wanted to be done with this pathetic excuse of a Sith and find Padme, make sure she was alright, make sure she had contacted the Jedi temple, make sure that the palace's staff and residents were alright. The plasma fiend vanished and he was on Maul in an instant.

They danced around each other, equally matched with their skills in lightsaber combat. _So he's not a master, than,_ Obi-Wan thought as he parried his opponents attack, eyes narrowing, _That means there's at least one more Sith I have to worry about._

Caught up in his thoughts, Obi-Wan didn't feel his saber catch, and when he tried to correct it, it was too late and his weapon went flying, tossed down the reactor shaft. Obi-Wan cursed and quickly ducked away from the zabraks blazing red saber. Maul laughed at him, igniting the other end of his staff and grinning viciously.

"This party is just about over." He snarled wickedly.

Obi-Wan felt a spike of cold travel up his spine as an oily tendril in the force began to unravel within him, he felt an overwhelming desire to _attack_. To _**kill**_. The zabrak arched a brow curiously, twirling his blade and crouching, his yellow eyes unblinking. Obi-Wan was unarmed, but he could still fight. He could still win. The force purred as he dropped into the first form of basic combat. He just had to be patient. Maul charged first and Obi-Wan dodged his blade, feeling the force buzz with limitless power. He called upon it, letting it guide his movements, faster, stronger, let it pour into him as he landed a blow to Maul's gut, knocking the wind out of the zabrak and giving Obi-Wan an opening to kick the Sith back into the wall.

The Sith's lightsaber dropped from his hand and hit the ground rolling as Maul stumbled, trying to regain his footing. Obi-Wan glanced to the saber at his feet before calling it to his hand, testing its weight in his palm. He heard the Sith hiss at him angrily, the force around him blaring a warning as the zabrak moved to knock him to the ground and wrestle the saber from his grip. But Obi-Wan expected it, saw his intention in the force and easily evaded his violent attack. Maul tried desperately to retrieve the saber, clawing and stomping around Obi-Wan as the smaller man twisted just out of reach. They stood opposite once more, Obi-Wan curiously twirling the saber in his hand. He felt the crystal bleeding within, heard the cries of those who were slayed on its blade. He felt another spike in the force.

_Avenge them_ , a voice whispered in the back of his mind, _Finish this pathetic life form._

Maul was on him before he could think and Obi-Wan was on his back. He snarled, planting his foot on the zabrak's stomach and launching him overhead. rolling onto his knees and igniting the saber. Maul howled and lunged forward. Obi-Wan waited before he ignited the other end of the saber, bisecting Maul across the front using a reverse grip. 

His breathing was ragged, an icy fortress surrounding him in a bitter embrace as he heard the zabrak's body hit the floor in an graceless heap. Obi-Wan exhaled heavily, sinking to his knees. A tingly sensation took over him, the adrenaline from the fight, the victory and the kill. He felt himself grin, tilting his head back as he basked in the glory of it all. 

All around him, the force sung like a dark promise. He'd done it. He'd killed the Sith with the zabrak's own lightsaber. He felt a presence prickle in the force and turned his head, seeing the Sith's eyes glinting at him. He felt his gut twist as an unrestrained wave of rage washed over him. _Did this thing not even have the decency to die?_ It so felt good, the way the force wrapped around him, accepted his rage and begged for more. His grip tightened around the lightsaber. The voice returned to him suddenly, in the back of his mind.

_Finish him, my apprentice, _it cooed, _show me that you are worthy._ __

____

____

__Feeling a sudden and burning desire to do as the voice commanded. Obi-Wan's eyes tracked the bleeding length of the Sith lords body, lazily taking up the saber and flicking it on and off before he pressed it against the zabrak's jugular._ _

_**The force shall set you free.**_

__He ignited the blade, and Darth Maul was no more._ _

__Obi-Wan stared at the lifeless body, blood roaring in his ears as he slowly came back to himself, falling back and scrambling away, throwing the lightsaber and holding his hands close to his chest. What had he done? He heard a slow clapping coming from behind the plasma doors. When they vanished, the looming form of his master stepped into the reactor chamber._ _

__"Very well done, Obi-Wan. You were very thorough." His old master praised, picking up the zabrak's lightsaber and igniting it, observing the red blade as it singed the air._ _

__"M-Master, what are you-?" Obi-Wan's head was spinning, he felt sick, turning over to his side and vomiting on the ground._ _

__"I was testing you. I wanted to be certain of your abilities." Master Dooku's voice was calm, though his lip curled back disgustedly at the sight of Obi-Wan expelling the contents of his stomach, "As always, you have exceeded my expectations."_ _

__Obi-Wan breathed weakly, "Master, what are you talking about? What's going on? I didn't mean to kill him, I didn't want to-" he rasped._ _

__Dooku didn't respond and Obi-Wan looked to him as he raised his hand. Obi-Wan's eyes went wide and he writhed with the sudden pain of electricity coursing through every nerve in his body. He rolled onto his side, crying out as another wave of electricity came over him. Obi-Wan sobbed weakly, watching his old master's boots slowly approach, tilting his head upward to see his master's apologetic eyes as another bolt of electricity sent him down into a black oblivion._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support! The art in this one is done by yours truly! The picture is also posted on my tumblr [](tumblr.com/unpheenix)


	14. in which Anakin and Qui-Gon storm Theed's palace and Obi-wan makes a startling revelation

Anakin and Qui-Gon dropped out of hyperspace. Before them was the Trade Federation blockade. They exchanged a glance before making their approach, immediately being hailed by the Trade Federation flagship.

"Unidentified craft, do not proceed. State your name and authorization." the comm chimed.

Qui-Gon hesitated for a moment before he picked up the receiver; "This is Master Qui-Gon Jinn. I have been sent by order of the Jedi Council and by extension of the Galactic Senate to investigate an attack on the Royal Palace in Theed."

The other end of the frequency remained quiet for a moment before blaring to life; "We did not receive notice of your arrival and therefore you are not authorized to proceed. I repeat, do not proceed or you will be apprehended."

Qui-Gon scoffed into the receiver; "That won't be necessary. Anakin?"

Anakin grinned, hitting the accelerator and surging forward. The flag ship blared a siren and a series of vulture droids was sent after them. Anakin grinned, spinning the ship and evading their tractor beam, blitzing between the blockading ships.

"Spinning is not flying, Anakin!" Qui-Gon chided, gripping his seat and looking as though he might be sick.

"No, but it's a good trick!" Anakin laughed. He easily slipped past the federation's blockade with his superior flying, but was now being chased into atmo by a squad of vulture droids who were no longer trying to apprehend them.

Rather, the droids fired recklessly in their direction in an attempt to shoot them out of the sky. Anakin cursed, flying low towards the mountains then pulling up suddenly and letting the droids crash into the mountain side.

"You've got two on us!" Qui-Gon said, flicking through the viewport screen, seeming quite frazzled, still looking like he was about to be sick with how much spinning Anakin was doing.

"I see them, don't worry Master, I've got it under control. Prep the guns, I'm going to blow these tinnies out of the sky." Anakin grinned manically, jerking the controls up and cutting the power as Qui-Gon stumbled back to the weapons panel, punching in a series of codes and watching the controls blink to life as he sat down in the gunner seat.

Anakin waited for the droids to fly under him before turning the power back on and closing in on their flank. Qui-Gon had his head set on and was grumbling as he took aim, narrowing his eyes before shooting one of the droids down. Anakin hollered, grinning as he flew through the cloud of smoke; "Great shot, master!"

"Hold you breath, Padawan, there's one left!"

Anakin blinked in realization but it was too late and the vulture droid took out their right engines. Anakin grimaced, cursing himself as Qui-Gon turned the gun around and shot the vulture from the sky. They were now spiraling down towards an open field.

"It's going to be a rough landing master, hang on tight!" Anakin gritted out, bracing the controls and pulling up as best he could as they skid over the tree-tops before crashing hard into the grassy plane, their ship rolled once, twice, before slowly grinding to a halt. The controls flashed a warning as they forced open the emergency hatch and climbed out, getting as far away from the ship as possible before the engines combusted.

Anakin and Qui-Gon hit the ground, covering their heads and looking over their shoulders, seeing the smoke billow up from their crashed shuttle. Anakin looked to Qui-Gon; "You don't suppose Padme will let us borrow a ship do you?" 

Qui-Gon glared at him, dropping his face in the dirt to muffle an exasperated groan; "Next time, I will be flying."

Anakin rolled his eyes and stood up, putting a hand over his eyes as he scanned the surrounding. He could see the city of Theed in the distance but it would be nightfall before they managed to reach the palace if they decided to walk. Qui-Gon stood up beside Anakin, the older man squinted against the sunlight, taking in their surroundings before he started moving; "Can you sense Obi-Wan?" he asked as he went, looking to the sky to make sure there weren't any more droids chasing them.

Anakin reached out in the force, following Qui-Gon. There was so much life on Naboo, it was difficult to sift through everyone. Anakin frowned deeply, closing his eyes and stopping so that he could concentrate. He focused on the Theed Royal palace, nudging through a swarm of panicked souls, not one of them belonging to Obi-wan. And then he felt a sudden shock of cold, gasping and clutching his chest. Qui-Gon looked back to him, furrowing his brows.

"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked.

Anakin shook his head, frowning deeply, "Master, we have to hurry." He said quietly, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Qui-Gon arched a brow but didn't push Anakin for an explanation, instead, he honed in on the force, beginning to sprint across the field before vanishing in a blur, using the energy of those around him to move at an inhumanly fast pace. Anakin followed suite, and they were able to clear the field relatively quickly, now just outside the city of Theed. Qui-Gon stayed hidden in the trees, poking his head around as he began catching his breath, "Anakin," he breathed out, "You might want to have a look at this."

Anakin was on the ground, sweating profusely. He hated using the force to run, it took everything he had to keep up with Qui-Gon's blistering pace. He rolled onto his side and managed to climb to his feet, standing behind Qui-Gon as he looked out, his eyes widening at the sight. Guarding the cities entrance was a battalion of B1 Battledroids, marching around the perimeter. Anakin and Qui-Gon looked at each other, nodding before they began to make their advance.

"Do you see any openings?" Qui-Gon asked quietly, staying as low to the ground as possible as they left the safety of the trees and began clearing the space between them and the city.

"Two clicks on your left, there's a break." Anakin whispered back and followed as Qui-Gon made a beeline for the opening, just barely slipping past the next wave of droids.

Anakin was exhausted, but he couldn't stop now. He had to find Obi-Wan, had to make sure he was okay. He tried reaching out into the force again, but he was so tired, he was barely able to make out the force signatures of the beings around him. He did notice that there were several other Jedi within the city limits, so they were not alone. Anakin looked to Qui-Gon who was fumbling with his commlink, trying to get a frequency out. Anakin slumped against the wall of the buildings as he watched his master speak quietly into the comm, poking his head out of the alleyway and scanning the surrounding area. It didn't look like there were any battledroids marching through the streets, most battalions must have been delegated to blocking the perimeter and protecting the palace.

"There are two other Jedi who made it through the blockade. The rest were apprehended." Qui-Gon said to Anakin as he began moving. 

Anakin pushed himself off the wall and followed, his movements sluggish; "Who made it through?" He asked wearily.

"Master Fisto and Master Tiplee. Master Tiplar was capture and so was Master Koth. We have to move quickly and send word to the Council and Senate but they're jamming all transmissions being sent out of the system. The only way we're going to get a message out is if we can get to the palace and take out the rest of these blasted droids." Qui-Gon spoke quickly, not seeming to notice Anakin's exhaustion, though Anakin suspected he was just as tired. They might have used up too much of their energy to make it to Theed. It wouldn't be good if they were caught sneaking around, they wouldn't have enough strength to fight back.

Anakin took a deep breath, closing his eyes and attempting to muster up whatever extra strength he could find when he was hit by a sudden wave of frigid air and an oily presence in the force. He stopped, blinking and wearily looking around; "Master, do you feel that?"

Qui-Gon stopped, looking back to Anakin before reaching out in the force, frowning; "The dark side."

"It's strong here, Master, do you think it's Dooku?"

Qui-Gon closed his eyes, breathing deeply through his nose and exhaling through his lips, feeling through the force; "I don't know. The force is muddied here. Something awful has happened." He looked to Anakin, "I'm sure if Master Dooku was here, Padme would have said something."

"She doesn't know that he might be a Sith Lord." Anakin pointed out as Qui-Gon began his advance again, Anakin close on his heels.

"Yes, but we don't know if Master Dooku is a Sith Lord either. It is purely speculation." Qui-Gon said tightly and Anakin frowned. 

He could tell that Qui-Gon was letting his attachment to his old master cloud his judgement. Anakin would have said something but he felt like anything he might have said would fall on deaf ears, so instead he focused on trying to find Obi-Wan, desperately hoping that he was alright. The fact that he couldn't sense him at all, and that the last time Padme had seen him, he was fighting an apparent Sith Lord, could make for absolute tragedy. Anakin felt his gut twist and a wicked feeling began to boil in his stomach. If Obi-Wan was dead, Anakin would avenge him. He wouldn't stop until the Sith were destroyed.

###

Obi-Wan jolted awake, his entire body felt like dead weight. He was currently being held in a prison cell, judging by the sound of the nearby engine room, he was aboard a some sort of starship. His wrists had been bound using magnetic binders, he studied their locking mechanism for a moment, seeing if he would be able to get them off before giving up and looking around his empty cell. He had been put on the sleeping mat, which he supposed he should be grateful for. He assumed most prisoners were tossed unconscious onto the hard metal floor. Obi-wan closed his eyes, willing the pain that hammered against his temples away as he forced himself to his feet, trudging over to the barred door and looking out. His memories slowly came back to him and he felt his gut lurch forward.

He had been in the reactor chamber of the Royal Palace on Naboo. He had been battling the Sith Lord Darth Maul. He looked down at his hands in horror, remembering how he bisected the Sith before pressing the emitter to the zabrak's neck and finishing him off with a beam of energy to the jugular. He felt his stomach lurch again, but nothing came up but bile. He had already expelled the contents of his stomach on the reactor floor. Obi-Wan rested his head against the bars of the cell door, his eyes closed as he heard the entrance to the cell block hiss open. He listened to a pair of familiar rubber soles click against the metal floor before stopping in front of him. An endless void in the force. He opened his eyes and lifted his head to see his former master staring down at him.

"I see you're awake." Dooku rumbled, hands clasped behind his back, his shoulder's squared. He seemed unnaturally stiff, standing as though he were at attention.

"Traitor." Obi-Wan bit out, feeling suddenly light headed he found himself slowly sliding down to his knees, breathing heavily.

"I am no traitor." Dooku sounded offended by the notion and Obi-Wan barked a laugh, not looking up.

"Then I'm supposed to believe this is some gross misunderstanding?" Obi-Wan managed, looking up again into his masters golden eyes.

Dooku's eyes softened momentarily, "Obi-Wan, I ask you to be patient and listen to me very closely." Obi-Wan watched his master turn away, his hands tightening around each other, "What if I told you that the Republic and nearly 100 senators are currently at the behest of a Sith Lord?"

Obi-Wan blinked, his head swimming, "That's impossible, the Jedi council would know if that were true!" He bit out, eyes wide and incredulous.

"The Jedi Council are fools, Obi-Wan." Dooku snapped, whirling around, "So wrapped up in their own hubris, they don't even realize that they too are pawns in Darth Sidious' game." 

Obi-Wan furrowed his brows, "And you do? Did you not inform the Jedi council on this matter?" he pressed. If his head didn't feel like it was splitting open, he might have attempted a mind trick on Dooku. He doubted it would work, but he would have tried.

Dooku seemed to hesitate for a moment, beginning to pace in front of Obi-Wan's cell. Obi-wan tracked the movement of his boots for a moment before flicking his eyes up and catching Dooku in a hard glare. Dooku hesitated once more before speaking, "The Jedi Council would not have believed me even if I told them. That their precious Republic had slipped away and fallen into the hands of the Sith."

"So you didn't tell them?" Obi-Wan repeated flatly to which Dooku's lips curled back into a snarl.

"They didn't deserve to know." Dooku snapped, his voice vicious and his eyes blazing, "The time of the Jedi has passed. Soon, there won't be any left."

Obi-Wan winced at his old masters voice and looked away, "I suppose that mean's you intend to kill me then?" He asked, careful to hide the pain behind his words. 

"No, Obi-Wan, I don't intend to kill you." Dooku's words were hushed and Obi-Wan looked back to him, his brows furrowed. His old master looked to him with something that resembled warmth, a look that Obi-Wan had once so desperately sought that now sent a shiver down his spine.

"Then what do you intend, master-" Obi-wan paused, swallowing around a sudden wave grief, "Dooku. What do you intend to do with me, Dooku?"

Dooku smiled to him and the wickedness of it made Obi-Wan's throat tighten and his eyes drop away, his fear leaking out into the Force when he heard Dooku speak; "I intend for you to join me, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan snapped his head up, his eyes wide and incredulous as his old master continued to smile patiently at him; "I will never join you, Dooku." Obi-Wan said sharply, forcing himself to his feet and slamming a fist into the bars of his cell door; "I would never betray the Jedi as you have." he spat out.

Dooku chuckled lightly, "Oh, but you already have." 

Obi-Wan blinked, deflating; "What do you mean?"

"You killed the Sith Lord on Naboo, took his life and showed no mercy." Dooku said simply, pacing in front of the cell door again before looking back to Obi-Wan with his ever patient and serene smile, though it twisted now, something dark and vicious behind his eyes; "You used to dark side of the force, surrendered to it, and used it for your own gain."

"I didn't..." Obi-Wan looked down, the horrific realization setting in, "I didn't mean to! I didn't realize that I had-"

"It's too late now, my apprentice." Dooku hissed at him and Obi-Wan stumbled back, falling to the ground and looking up to his old master, tears pricking the corners of his eyes.

"No." He whispered softly, dropping his head with a sob.

"Your destiny lies with me, Obi-Wan. There is no other hope for you." Dooku stared down at him for a long moment, before turning and leaving the prison, the door hissing softly shut behind him.

Obi-Wan breathed deeply as another sob was wretched from his body, he looked up to blink away the tears. Had he truly fallen to the dark side? Would the Jedi really not accept him if he were to return? He took a rasping breath, wiping his face and feeling the pain in his chest as his heart thudded against his ribs. He furrowed his brows, the gears in his mind turning slowly as he considered what Dooku had said. The Republic and 100 senators were now at the behest of a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious. Someone who was very powerful, someone who was in the senate or close to the senate, close to the Chancellor. The chancellor. Obi-Wan frowned deeply, folding himself so that he sat cross legged on the floor, dropping his hands in front of him with the palms open and facing up. He took a deep breath, attempting to center himself, attempting to think this through.

Inside himself, he felt the oily slick of the dark side, unraveled and running rampant in the force around him. He was cold, and miserable, but he wasn't lost. He sought out the light within himself, the good in the world around him, and took a deep breath, beginning to draw the darkness from his heart. Soon, the rapid beat of his pulse slowed and the darkness within him began to coil around itself. Obi-Wan was quick to apprehend it, choke it and stuff it as deep down as he possibly could. He looked at his darkness and accepted it, accepted the mistakes he had made, then let them go into the force. 

Obi-Wan opened his eyes, feeling infinitely lighter, the heavy feeling that had plagued him since he had awoken had vanished. Obi-Wan looked down at his bindings again, observing them for a long moment. He tried to pull his wrists apart to no avail before standing and going to the cell door, looking out. He studied the metal work and bolts used on the walls and floors of the prison, sifting through his memories as he tried to identify their design. He remembered the negotiations on a trade federation vessel he had gone on with Dooku in the early days of his apprenticeship. The seams in the metal and the spacing in the bolts was accurate to the designs of the ship they had been on. He glanced to the control panel at the side of the ship, thoughtful. He lifted his hands, narrowing his eyes as he called upon the force. The button flickered experimentally for a moment before turning green, the cell bars receding into the ceiling. Obi-Wan stepped out of the cell. He thought his master might have been smart enough not to lock him in a cell without force inhibitors.

 _Perhaps he thought I'd rot in my squalor and not attempt an escape,_ he thought to himself bitterly, shaking his head. His mind wandered a moment as the door to the prison hissed open and he stepped out into an empty hallway. He thought about Anakin, how despite all his darkness, he still chose the light. He scanned the hallway, reaching out in the force before sneaking along the wall. He wondered where Anakin was right now. He stopped for a moment, peaking around the corner and seeing several B1 Battledroids holding their blasters and guarding the entrance to the cockpit. He had a bad feeling about this.

###

Anakin deflected a blaster bolt as he ran through the city behind Qui-Gon, whose thoughts through the training bond consisted entirely of _kriff kriff kriff karking son of a sleemo_ as he mowed down the swarm of battledroids. They had met up with master Fisto who has sent one of the battalions approaching them from the east down the pathway and instructed a small group of civilians to ram their speeders into them. Anakin would always be grateful of people who were willing to fight for themselves, and the people of Naboo definitely fell into that category. 

Master Fisto approached them as Qui-Gon finished off the last of the droids, looking especially exhausted; "We're a few blocks from the palace now. I've lost contact with Master Tiplee." he said, seeming stressed.

Qui-Gon nodded, "Go find her, Anakin and I will storm the palace. I'm certain that Padme is still there." he turned his attention to Anakin, "Can you sense Obi-Wan at all?"

Anakin closed his eyes, reaching out in the force, but he was met with silence. He frowned, opening his eyes and shaking his head; "No, master, he's either shielding, offworld, or dead." His gut twisted at the thought of Obi-Wan being slain by the Sith Lord. He decided he'd have to double his efforts, praying to the force that the older padawan was alright.

Master Fisto left with the civilians to assist master Tiplee, while Qui-Gon and Anakin made their way to the palace, sneaking through the narrow alleyways between buildings. Qui-Gon poked his head out, furrowing his brows and gesturing for Anakin to come look with him. The palace itself did not appear to be well guarded, one battalion was making it's way around to the back of the palace. Qui-Gon and Anakin exchanged glances before nodded and using the force to sprint up the steps of the palace. Anakin kept watch as Qui-Gon pushed the palace doors open, entering when Qui-Gon gestured that the coast was clear.

Once inside, they were immediately hit with a wave of frigid cold air. Anakin shivered, noticing a pillar that had been knocked down and crumpled on the floor.

"I don't sense any life forms here." Qui-Gon muttered, walking further into the foyer and looking around.

"The dark side is strong here, Master." Anakin managed to say, shaking his head as he was overcome by the waves of rage and hatred that seemed to saturate the walls. The tension in the air was so palpable that Anakin thought he might be able to taste it. 

There were soft footsteps approaching fast down one of the corridors, Anakin and Qui-Gon ignited their sabers, ready to attack when they saw Senator Amidala poke her head into the foyer. They dropped their guard, relief flooding the force around them as Padme ran across the open foyer and wrapped Anakin in a tight hug. The air was knocked out of Anakin's lungs as he deactivated his saber and wrapped his arms around Padme's thin waist, smiling in relief.

"Padme, you're alright." He breathed out, looking to Qui-Gon who also deactivated his saber.

"Yes, I'm fine." Padme said, giving Anakin one final squeeze before letting him go and offering a sheepish bow to Qui-Gon who nodded to her respectfully, "But I can't find Obi-Wan anywhere."

Anakin felt a pang of fear, his brows furrowing together as he looked to Qui-Gon; "Do you think he left?"

"I'm not sure," Padme said hesitantly, "I did see Master Dooku earlier though."

Qui-Gon and Anakin snapped their heads over to Padme who jumped; "What do you mean you saw Master Dooku earlier?" Qui-Gon demanded, his force signature bleeding with dread.

"I was in the communication tower, and he appeared. I don't know how he got here, but I remembered Obi-Wan saying that he left the Jedi Order, so I didn't approach him." Padme said, a frown touching her lips, "Why?"

"Was he not the Sith lord that attacked Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked, vexed.

"What? No, the Sith lord was a red zabrak. I haven't seen him either. I think they were headed to the reactor chamber but I didn't want to investigate by myself." Padme said, looking between Anakin and Qui-Gon.

"Let's have a look." Qui-Gon said after a long moment, nodding to Anakin and turning to make his way down.

The three of them walked the silent halls, there was lightsaber scarring all over the floors and walls of the palace. Anakin figured that meant Obi-Wan had been using Ataru, since it was a more acrobatic style. They came to the plasma doors that turned off and on. The further down they descended the colder it got. Anakin exhaled and for a moment thought he could see his breath. He glanced to Qui-Gon and Padme, Padme had her arms wrapped around herself, her brows furrowed across her delicate features. Qui-Gon remained stoically neutral, though Anakin could sense his dread becoming more severe. The plasma doors flicked off and they advanced. 

The first thing Anakin noticed was the smell of burned flesh, followed by the stank of blood. Padme cupped a hand over her mouth in horror at the mangled corpse of the red zabrak, who had been bisected and decapitated, left in a pool of his own blood. Anakin froze, staring down at the awful sight, looking over to Qui-Gon who had gone pale and livid.

"Who could have done this?" Qui-Gon whispered quietly, leaning down and pressing a hand to the zabrak's cold flesh.

"Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked, his brows knitted together in concern. He sensed an echo in the force and swayed slightly. The dark side was strongest here. He could almost see the zabrak's golden eyes, glaring and unblinking. He felt movement in the force, tasted the nauseating scent of burned ozone on his tongue. It couldn't be.

Qui-Gon's commlink chimed and the older Jedi looked to his gauntlet, answering the call; "This is Master Jinn."

"Qui-Gon, it's Kit. I've got very good news! We've managed to unjam our comm frequencies. You should be able to make contact with the Jedi temple now."

"Have you found master Tiplee?" Qui-Gon asked, rising to his feet and gesturing for Anakin and Padme to follow.

"Yes, she was injured but not badly. There's something else, Qui-Gon. I received a message from Quinlan."

Qui-Gon paused once they left the plasma doors, his brows furrowed; "Quinlan? What does he want?"

"He requested that we send a message immediately to the Jedi temple. He has located a clone army supposedly commissioned by order of the Jedi almost 10 years ago by Master Sifo Dyas." 

Anakin raised his head in alarm, "What? A clone army?"

Qui-Gon was reeling in the force, "Why would Sifo Dyas order a clone army?"

"Quinlan wasn't sure, but he managed to locate the bounty hunter that made the assassination attempt on Senator Amidala. He chased the bounty hunter to the planet Geonosis but his comm was interrupted. I think he might have been attacked by the native Geonosians."

Qui-Gon looked to Senator Amidala, then to Anakin, before responding to master Fisto; "We will relay the message using the palace's communication tower. Master Jinn out." He ended the call, taking a moment to digest the information that he had just recieved.

Anakin shifted back and forth on his heels. A clone army? Quinlan attacked on Geonosis? He didn't really care what happened to Quinlan, but the information he had might be vital to the Jedi Order and the Republic. He glanced to Padme who seemed especially disturbed, her hands covering her mouth as she looked to the floor. Not to mention, Anakin thought, Obi-Wan was still missing.

"Let's go relay the message to the Council." Qui-Gon said finally, starting a brisk pace and headed back the way they came.

Anakin and Padme stumbled after him; "What about Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked, shamelessly projecting his concern into the force.

Qui-Gon gave him a disapproving look, "we can't worry about Obi-Wan right now. I'm sure he can take care of himself." 

Anakin stopped, "but Master!"

"No, Anakin, not this time!" Qui-Gon snapped, turning on his heels and facing him. Padme shrunk out of the way, looking between Qui-Gon and Anakin, "We have bigger things to worry about right now. A clone army, Anakin! A bounty hunter who was bold enough to make an attempt on senator Amidala's life headed to Geonosis! Quinlan apprehended and possibly dead as well, and he is the link that holds this all together! We can not be worrying about Obi-Wan right now!" He bit out before continuing on his way.

Anakin was left seething, his lips curled back into a snarl. He felt the force churn inside him, curiously, as if asking him what he wanted to do. He realized that it was the dark side whispering to him, and he quickly blocked the voice that whispered horrible things out of his mind. He took a deep breath, attempting to center himself when he felt Padme's hand on his shoulder. He lifted his gaze and met her dark brown eyes, her brows drawn together.

"You're worried about Obi-Wan too?" She asked tentatively and Anakin nodded. Padme squeezed his shoulder, "Then let's go find him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update? In this economy?? Thank you all for your support!


	15. in which our heroes converge on Geonosis

Obi-Wan quietly snuck through the starship's passageways, waiting for small squads of battledroids to pass by before slinking into a different corridor. He was careful to keep an eye on Dooku's force signature, not wanting to run into his old master who he was so deliberately opposing. He needed to find his commlink, send a message to Padme, or the Jedi, or anyone who might be listening. He felt the ship rattle as they exited hyperspace and stumbled into a wall, cursing as he looked around, moving to look out one of the transparinsteel windows. They had landed right outside what looked like an asteroid field, a reddish orange planet visible in the distance. Obi-Wan furrowed his brows, trying to identify the giant ball of dust when he heard the door to his right his open.

He whipped around to see a group of battledroids, it's commander pointing him; "It's the prisoner! He's escaped! Set Weapon's to stun!"

"Roger, roger"-"Roger, roger"-"Roger, roger"

Obi-Wan cursed, throwing his hand up and sending the droids flying back through the door before turning and making a break down the hallway. He needed to find his blasted commlink! Now that droids had been alerted to his escape, he could hear multiple metal feet clanking down multiple corridors. He made a beeline to one of the doors, hitting the button and cursing when it wouldn't open. He knelt down and popped the panel off, quickly crossing the wires so that the door hissed open. He stepped inside and smacked his hand across the panel, watching the door hiss shut just as a squad of droids rounded the corner. He looked down at the panel, taking a step back, he lifted his heel and crashed it into the controls, short circuiting the mechanism and buying himself a little extra time. He turned to look around the room as he heard the droids get to work opening the door.

He was in what appeared to be an office of sorts. Obi-Wan went around and rummaged through the drawers, hoping to find an abandoned communicator but there was nothing. The door hissed up a fraction, but got stuck again. Obi-Wan stepped back till he hit the wall opposite to the door, his eyes flicking up. There was a ventilation grate right above him. He looked back to the door, listening to the battledroids hum as they worked, before stepping up onto the desk and pulling at the grate, letting it fall and crash onto the floor. He looked up, wobbling a bit on the desk before crouching down, sticking his tongue out as he concentrated. The door to the office hissed open all the way and he jumped up into the shaft, looking back down, he pulled the grate up and put it back into place, watching the droids as they circled around the room. He didn't stay to find out if they could figure out where he went, crawling through the ducts and breathing in the stale air.

It was hot and cramped and not ideal, but he didn't have many other options. Reaching out in the force, he could sense Dooku coming down the hall and quickly went in the opposite direction, focusing on shielding his presence so that his old master wouldn't find him. He continued to crawl through the ducts, occasionally looking through the grates to get an idea as to where he was. Eventually, he came across another office and kicked the grate out, carefully slipping down and dropping onto the floor. He looked around the office, checking for camera's as he approached the desk, rummaging through the drawers. To his amazement, his commlink was there. Which meant this was Dooku's office. Obi-Wan activated his commlink, waiting for it to calibrate as he continued to shuffle through the drawers before he felt the force speak to him. He blinked, confused as he looked around the room. His eyes fell upon Darth Maul's lightsaber staff being displayed on one of the walls. Obi-Wan stepped over to it, pulling it off the brackets and holding it in his hand. The force purred, content. The door to Dooku's office opened and Obi-Wan heard a lightsaber ignite.

Activating the saber, Obi-Wan was met with Dooku's own red blade, his former master looking absolutely giddy; "I see you've taken a liking to the staff, I think it suits you."

Obi-Wan scoffed, using the saber to push Dooku back and twirling the lightsaber in his hand. He was cornered, his only way out was up or around Dooku and he didn't think he'd be able take either of those routes. Obi-Wan hesitated a moment before deactivating the saber and lifting his hands; "I surrender."

Dooku arched his brow curiously, deactivating his saber as well and standing strait; "What are you scheming about, my young apprentice?" He sneered, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Obi-Wan shrugged, twirling the hilt of the staff in his hand; "It's important to know when you've lost. I know I can't take you alone." He said simply, feigning exhaustion. He looked down at the staff curiously, as if enamored by it.

Dooku took a careful step forward, "We needn't be advisaries, Obi-Wan." He said, his golden eyes glinting dangerously.

Obi-Wan flicked his eyes to him, feeling him out in the force. His presence wasn't hostile. Obi-Wan considered his options. Dooku wanted him to join his cause, whatever that cause was. He casually hid his other hand behind his back, hiding his commlink before lifting his other hand and offering the staff to Dooku; "You're right, of course."

"Have you come to your senses then?" Dooku asked, taking the staff and continuing to stare down at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan smiled innocently, offering a small bow; "Something like that. As I said, I know I can't beat you alone, _master_." 

Dooku's eyes flashed and a wicked grin crossed his lips, "Ah, I see." the old man chuckled, tossing the saber hilt in the air a couple times before catching it and igniting the blade.

Obi-Wan kept his head down, his heart pounding in his chest. Did Dooku catch his bluff? He closed his eyes, preparing for the worst when he felt the burning edge of the blade come under his chin. The blade didn't move and Obi-Wan stared at it for a moment before slowly lifting his eyes.

"I still sense conflict in you, but it is no matter." Dooku said quietly, deactivating the saber and turning, "I too was conflicted before I discovered the truth. In time, you will come to accept it I'm sure." his former master gestured for him to follow as he left the office, so he did, keeping his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

"Of course, master." Obi-Wan said, a sense of false resignation to his words. Either Dooku was playing him or he had bought into Obi-Wan's lie. He wouldn't be surprised if Dooku did, Obi-Wan had never once lied to his master before. Dooku seemed so sure of his turn, so confident. 

_Too bad that confidence shall be your downfall,_ Obi-Wan thought as they entered the bridge. The droids commanding the ship were bringing them into atmo. Obi-Wan lifted his chin, observing the harsh landscape, the sky turning red as they went lower and lower towards the ground. He glanced to Dooku who was looking strait ahead, unflinching. Obi-Wan gripped his wrist, carefully pressing the button and activating his commlink.

"Where are we?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyes flicking over to Dooku who hadn't moved from beside Obi-Wan.

"Geonosis. We're headed to the droid foundries. We have a very special guest to greet." Dooku rumbled, at least moving to sit in his throne like seat. Obi-Wan moved to stand beside him, watching the dirt billow around the ships viewport as they began the landing sequence.

"Special guest, sir?"

"Yes, Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos. He was caught sticking his nose where he shouldn't have. He'll have to be terminated. There can be no witnesses to what is to occur today." Dooku said, leaning back and seeming quite pleased with himself.

Obi-Wan felt panic rise in his throat. He swallowed it down, forcing a troubled smile to touch his lips; "How right you are."

###

_"How right you are."_

Anakin and Padme exchanged weary glances with each other. They were in the Palace hangar, looking for a ship that still had its engines intact. 

"So he's fallen to the dark side?" Padme asked finally, her voice sounding strained, "Shouldn't we tell Master Jinn about this?"

"No!" Anakin said fiercely, "I know Obi-Wan, he would never abandon the Jedi!" he said defensively.

"I know Obi-Wan too," Padme said carefully, putting her hand on Anakin's shoulder, "You saw that corpse in the reactor chamber too, didn't you?"

"There's gotta be another explanation." Anakin insisted, going across the hanger and hopping into the cockpit of one of the shuttles. He bit his lip as he punched the ignition, hearing the engine wheeze before he punched it again and they roared to life, the console flickering on and off.

Padme pulled herself into the gunner's seat, checking the gauges, flicking through switches; "Explain away, because it's looking pretty bad to me right now."

"Well," Anakin hesitated a moment, checking their fuel before initiating the take off sequence; "It's just a feeling. I know Obi-Wan wouldn't betray the Jedi." _I know he wouldn't betray me._

They were airborn, flying over the city of Theed. Padme was quiet, watching the scanners and listening to the engines hum; "I still think we should have told Master Jinn."

"Master Jinn wouldn't pick his feet up fast enough." Anakin bit out, "He's in denial. He doesn't believe that Dooku is a Sith."

"Just like how you don't believe Obi-Wan is a Sith?"

"Well at least I'm being proactive." Anakin huffed, offering Padme a grin that she rolled her eyes at. He missed Padme, missed having someone with compassion that matched his own.

His commlink chimed rapidly, causing Anakin to jump out of his skin. He answered the call without hesitation; "Hello?"

"Anakin, where in Sith hells are you!?" Qui-Gon's deep voice bellowed over the frequency.

Anakin flinched and Padme looked over to him wearily, he took a deep breath; "I'm going to find Obi-Wan."

"I told you that Obi-Wan can wait!"

"No, Master, you don't understand!" Anakin snapped, twisting several knobs, flicking up several switches as they prepared to make the jump to hyperspace; "Obi-Wan is with Dooku! They're on Geonosis where Quinlan is right now! If we don't hurry, we might not be able to save any of them! I knew you weren't go to act, so I decided to act on my own!"

"Anakin!"

"Goodbye, Master." Anakin ended the comm and took a shaky breath. He saw Padme's eyes in the viewport, her brows drawn together in concern.

"I hope you're making the right choice, Anakin." She whispered quietly, "punch it."

Geonosis was much closer to Naboo than Naboo was to Coruscant. It did not take them long to arrive just outside the planets atmosphere, Anakin jerking the controls in order to avoid the asteroid field they seemingly flew strait into. A natural defense, Anakin thought, bringing the ship into atmo and flying low between the many rock formations. The planets winds kicked up a massive sandstorm that obscured most of their view, so Anakin switched to a thermal camera, checking the readings and keeping the ship low to the ground while reaching out with the force to avoid obstacles. Geonosis was a rotten planet, rotted from the inside out. The native Geonosians lived in complex underground tunnel systems, their species was said to serve a queen but Anakin didn't believe those stories. They soon cleared the storm and were flying across an open desert. In the distance, Anakin saw a large spiraling tower.

"That must be where they're at." Anakin breathed, prepping the ship to land.

"Look, there are some vents up ahead." Padme said, reaching over Anakin's shoulder and pointing at the steam rising out of holes in the ground.

"That should work to cover our landing." Anakin murmured, bringing the ship down and slowly sinking it into the hole.

They landed softly, Anakin glancing to Padme who was patting her utility belt and throwing a cowl over her face. She looked to Anakin and nodded. They opened the hatch to the cockpit and climbed out of the ship. They looked around the vent, finding a grate on the side and pulling it off. Padme went in first, crawling through the duct and Anakin followed, putting the grate back on and taking one last look at the ship. He hoped it would be there when they got back.

"Anakin, come on!" Padme hissed back to him.

"I'm coming!" Anakin called back, hurrying after her.

###

Quinlan blinked awake, his head felt heavy and he didn't know which way was up. He was suspended in the air by some magnetic binder. He experimentally pulled at the bounds around his wrists to no avail. He dropped his head down, breathing deeply in through his nose and out through his mouth in an attempt to center himself, willing away the pain from the bruises that marked up his body. He couldn't believe his luck. First, he can't find Kamino in the archives, it just doesn't exist. Second, when he goes to the coordinates Dex gave him, he finds himself surrounded by hundreds of thousands of identical men supposedly ordered by Sifo Dyas ten years ago, around the time that the master had been removed from the council for his radical views. Quinlan guessed that one of those radical views was the need for a Kriffing Clone Army.

Quinlan heard the door hiss open and he lifted his head, squinting in the dark. To his surprise, Obi-Wan was there, quickly pulling at the panel that covered the binders controls.

"Obi? Obi, what are you doing here?" Quinlan hissed, the stabilizer turning off and slowly making him turn whilst he was still suspended.

"What do you think I'm doing here, I'm rescuing you!" Obi-Wan said incredulously, clipping one of the wires and deactivating the binders.

Quinlan fell into a crouch, turning on his heels and looking to him in confusion; "You came all the way here to rescue me?" He asked, putting a hand over his heart.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and offered a tentative smirk; "I didn't really have much of a choice. I was captured by Dooku and dragged here. I was able to trick him into trusting me, but he's going to realize very soon here that I'm not on his side, so we have to go. Like now." 

With that, Obi-Wan turned and made his way out of the door and through the hallway. He had been doing an awful lot of sneaking around lately and he wasn't necessarily fond of it. Quinlan followed after him, keeping close on his heels. They made their way around the castle, avoiding the droids and geonosians as much as possible which was hard to do because the bugs were quite literally everywhere. Obi-wan pressed himself along the wall, poking his head out to look into a large foyer, a long table which had multiple members of the separatist committee sitting at it was stationed in the center of the room. Dooku paced along the wall as he spoke to his guests. Some waxing statements about how the republic is corrupt and how they will now be commencing the clone wars. Quinlan pressed next to Obi-Wan which earned him a rude noise which he waved off.

"Quin, you're too close." Obi-wan breathed, attempting to push him back.

"I'm just trying to listen!" 

"Quin!"

There was a garbled screech that came behind them and they whirled around, face to face with one of the Geonosians. The members of the Separatist committee turned their heads up towards the corridor. Quinlan could feel the oily slick of the dark side suddenly unravel around them, the air becoming frigid as he punched the bug in the nose and grabbed Obi-Wan's hand, yanking him down the hall.

"I can run by myself Quin!" Obi-Wan said haughtily as he stumbled after the Kriffar man.

"Well than do it because this isn't good!" Quinlan bit back, turning down a hall and running strait into Count Dooku who ignited his lightsaber, his eyes blazing gold.

"I see you've chosen to defy me." Dooku said, his voice dripping with malice, "And here I thought you were smarter than that, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan barked a laugh, standing tall and jutting his chin out; "And I thought you were smarter than to think I'd ever betray the Jedi for the likes of you. For the Sith!" He seethed, angry.

Quinlan whistled and Obi-Wan's face flushed scarlet; "You tell him babe."

"Don't call me that!"

"Fools!" Dooku charged them and Quinlan grabbed Obi-Wan's wrist, yanking him out of the way and running back down the hall.

They had attracted the attention of the other Geonosians and were quickly surrounded. They tried fighting off the swarm of bugs to no avail, easily being overwhelmed. Quinlan was doing his best to watch his flank, making sure to keep an eye on Obi-Wan who was fighting for his life when he felt the force prickle in warning. The air once again turned frigid and he turned to see Dooku raising his hand before being overcome by a sudden and terrible burst of electricity. He hit the ground writhing, looking up to see Obi-Wan's mortified gaze as another jolt of electricity passed through him. He feels himself being cooked inside out, just barely hearing Obi-Wan's pleas for Dooku to stop, please stop. The third jolt is enough to knock him out, his world fading to black.

###

Anakin is ducking around the factory equipment, desperately trying to fight of the swarms of bugs that attack him ceaselessly. Padme is somewhere ahead of him, the sound of her blaster firing is the only thing that lets Anakin know she's still alive. It's hot underground, molten metal being poured into molds as the machinery and conveyor belts crank around them. Anakin cuts down as many bugs as possible, but has to stop to duck away from equipment so he doesn't get squashed. He had been tired since he and Qui-Gon had stormed the palace on Theed and was now considering just how foolish he had been. He shouldn't have gone after Obi-Wan, he wasn't strong enough. He felt the oily tendrils of the force lick around him as he held out his hand, pulling one of the machines off its bolts and flinging it at the bugs. Up ahead, Padme is struggling to kick off an attacker before she is pulled down and falls into a massive metal crucible.

"Padme!" Anakin calls, running to assist her but is once again overwhelmed by the bugs. One of the cretins manages to knock his lightsaber out of his hands and before he knows it there's a blaster pointed to his nose and his hands are up in surrender.

Padme is pulled form the crucible and they are chained together before being marched down the hallway. Anakin is exhausted, covered in dirt and his own sweat. He feels an itch in the force and his head snaps up. Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan is here, his force signature is jumbled and in pain. Anakin feels the force rear back inside him, his anger spiking at the realization that Obi-Wan was badly injured. They were lead to a chariot and forced to step into it, standing tall and without dignity before the opening to a grand Colosseum.

"I suppose this is the end?" Padme said quietly, glancing to Anakin. 

Anakin swallowed his fear and looked down to her, noticing the way the light caught on her lashes and shone in her eyes. She really was beautiful. _What a waste,_ he thought bitterly, "I'm sorry, Padme. If I was stronger than maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"It's not your fault, Anakin, I'm just as responsible as you are." She said softly, leaning into his chest. Despite her courageous declaration, Anakin could feel her tears soaking the thin linen of his tunic. he tilted his head up and closed his eyes, willing himself not to cry.

"I don't want to die." Anakin says softly. He has so many regrets. He thinks about his mother, who he couldn't save, Qui-Gon, who he had abandoned, and now Padme, who he had dragged along into this mess. If only he was stronger.

The chariot lurches forward and Anakin looks out into the blinding sunlight. At the center of the arena are for pillars. Quinlan and Obi-Wan are chained up, Quinlan's head drooping down, his muscles limp. Anakin realizes that the Jedi knight is within inches of his life and feels a sick curl of satisfaction that immediately disappears at the sight of Obi-Wan. The older Padawan's cheek is bruised and his eyes down cast. His force signature floats listlessly, as if it is barely attached to his body. Anakin reaches out into the force desperately, feeling around him, trying to understand what happened.

Obi-Wan's head snaps up and his eyes go wide with despair. He can see his mouth move, his name whispered on his lips as he watches the chariot take Anakin and Padme to their respective pillars. Padme is ripped from Anakin's chest and she pulls away from her captors, attempting to kick them but is quickly subdued. Anakin is brought to his pillar beside Quinlan who's shoulders raise up raggedly, his body is covered in the rippling scars left by force lightning. Anakin grimaces, he could have guessed what happened to him.

"Anakin!"

Anakin looks over to Obi-Wan, seeing the older padawan's desperate eyes.

"Obi-Wan..." He calls back, trying to push all his relief at seeing him in a wave of the force.

Obi-Wan closes his eyes for a moment, basking in it, before his eyes open and he fixes Anakin with a stern look; "I didn't think you'd have come here alone."

"I told Qui-Gon where I was going." Anakin huffed, looking out as four very large very angry looking creatures were let into the arena. He swallowed, "But I thought he was taking too long, so Padme and I decided to rescue you ourselves."

Obi-Wan glanced up at his chains then looked back to Anakin, "Good job."

Anakin scoffed his eyes scanning the crowds until they fell on Dooku, who stood with members of the Separatist committee. A man with mandalorian armor stood at his side. He felt his gut twist in anger. He knew that Obi-Wan's injuries were Dooku's fault, and the mere thought of it made the dark side unravel within him. He felt a cold spike up his spine and closed his eyes, trying desperately to stuff it down, but to no avail. He was tired and angry and now he was out for blood.

The creatures charged at them and something in the force must have woken Quinlan up because the Kriffar mans eyes flew open and he snarled at the beasts. The creatures came to a stuttering halt, confused. Padme was working quickly, undoing the lock on her chains and running over to Anakin, fumbling to undo his bounds as well. One of the creatures shook out of Quinlan's hold and surged forward, scraping its claws across Padme's back, causing the young woman to scream in pain. 

"Padme!" Anakin didn't know what came over him. The chain shatter and he reached his hand out in the force, his entire body fell in sync with the force. All his hatred, his exhaustion, his despair, narrowed to the tips of his fingers, followed by a hot flash of violent blue lightning that cracked along the ground and struck the creature. Anakin watched as it writhed in pain, feeling an immense amount of gratification but it fell away when he felt Obi-Wan's eyes on him. He saw his fear and whatever power he felt he had vanished into nothing as he landed on his knees, his arms falling around Padme who sobbed weakly.

"I'm sorry." Anakin said softly, closing his eyes as the other creatures began their advance once more.

He felt the force buzz with a sudden burst of energy, weakly lifting his eyes, he saw Qui-Gon standing in front of him, his saber brandished his eyes wild, one of the creatures hitting the ground, its head decapitated. All around in the arena, lightsabers of all colors were ignited. The Jedi had arrived. Anakin could see Master Windu standing with his lightsaber to Dooku's neck. He felt a sense of elation as his master crouched down, putting a hand on Padme's back. He seemed exhausted, studying his padawan's face.

"Are you alright, Anakin?" He asked quietly.

Anakin nodded, feeling his eyes beginning to water as he sobbed, "Yes, master, I'm sorry."

Qui-Gon scoffed, clapping a hand on his shoulder. The other Jedi jumped down and cut Quinlan and Obi-Wan's chains, Quinlan slumping forward into Master Unduli's arms. Obi-Wan staggered forward, offering a grateful smile to the master who released him before looking to Anakin. Their celebration was short lived, the gates to the arena opened and nearly a thousand battle droids began their descent. Qui-Gon stood up, reigniting his saber a long with the rest of the masters. Anakin closed his eyes, keeping his arms around Padme as his head swam. He was so tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one bites the dust! Thank you all for your support!


	16. in which the day is won, but at what cost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for ANGST.

Everything was a blur. Hundreds of Jedi arriving in the arena to ambush the Geonosians and the Separatists. The sound of battledroids advancing, blasters firing. Obi-Wan felt dizzy, turning with dismay as he watched the horror around him unfold. The Jedi were dying. There weren't enough of them to fend off against the endless waves of droids. He could sense Count Dooku in the stands, easily mowing down his assailants with a manic glee. It made his gut lurch. They were surrounded on all sides now, he glanced over to Quinlan, who was sat up against his pillar, eyes glazed over, barely conscious and Anakin, oh Anakin. His eyes were wide and frightened, clutching the injured senator close to his chest as his master did what he could to keep the droids away from them. But it was no use, they were being overwhelmed.

The Jedi were being backed towards the pillars, creating a barrier between the padawan's and the army. Eventually, the blaster fire ceased and Dooku stood tall in his balcony, triumphant; "You have failed, Jedi fools." He proclaims.

Master Windu grimaces, there's a splatter of blood on his cheek from when he decapitated the man with Mandalorian armor. Qui-Gon stood at his side, his breathing labored, his eyes wild. His hair had come undone at some point during the fight, a tangled mass that made him look something like a lion. _A warrior,_ Obi-Wan thought distantly, _Jedi weren't meant to be warriors._

The droids took aim and Obi-Wan closed his eyes, this was the end. They were going to die on this god forsaken desert planet, and it would be his fault. He thought of Anakin in that moment, of Padme. If he hadn't sent out his call for help, they wouldn't be here right now. And Quinlan, oh Quinlan, his body ravaged by force lightning, Obi-Wan wondered if it would have been more merciful to just let Dooku kill him. He kept his eyes closed and waited, waited for the firing squad to send him to the cosmic force. But it never came.

From above, a massive series of gunships descended from the clouds, cries of war as hundreds of armored men jump from their shuttles, firing a barrage of lasers on the droids. Obi-Wan opened his eyes, acutely aware of the thousands of brightly incandescent souls that entered the arena, all similar, but not the same. Obi-Wan blinked and saw Master Yoda jump out off of his shuttle and approach the remaining Jedi. He felt Dooku's triumph vanish as he fled. A shadow came over him and he looked up, distantly, into the shiny visor of one of the troopers helmets.

"I'm going to give you a stim, soldier, I need you to hold still." The man's voice crackled from inside the helmet as he produced a syringe from his medpack.

Obi-Wan blinked, croaking out; "I'm not a soldier." He said weakly, "I'm a Jedi."

The visor stared at him, blank behind the helmet before he raised the syringe and pressed it to Obi-Wan's neck. The stim thrust Obi-Wan from his delirious fog, as if he had been dunked into a basin of ice cold water. He blinked, once twice, feeling the spray of bacta on his wounds as the medic continued his work. His heart beat fast, feeling around with the force only to find the glaring eyes of death. So many of his friends, his fellow Jedi, gone in the blink of an eye. He glanced to Anakin who was also receiving help, a medic smearing a bright blue gel over a burn that had been hidden by his tattered robes. Padme was being brought on board one of the gunships, her body limp and her eyes glassy. Quinlan was also brought to the ship, thrashing wildly against the soldiers who carried him, speaking incoherently before being knocked out by a tranquilizer. He felt Anakin brush up against him in the force and looked over. The younger Jedi pushed off his medic before rising to his feet and approaching Obi-Wan slowly, waiting for Obi-Wan's medic to leave before crouching down, his eyes searching. 

"What happened to you, Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked quietly, gently reaching out and touching the bruise on his cheek.

Obi-Wan flinched and looked away; "It doesn't matter, Anakin." He swallowed, furrowing his brows, "We need to find Dooku. We can't let him get off world." 

"I agree, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon's rumbling voice snapped the padawan's attention up, his imposing figure was held stiff, his expression grim; "Do you know where he might have gone?"

Obi-Wan blinked, rubbing his face, "There's a hidden launch pad near the canyons." He said, furrowing his brows, "That's where we landed when I was first brought here."

Qui-Gon nodded, turning on his heels and speaking to one of the many identical armored soldiers before taking a transport and lifting off.

Obi-Wan felt his heart thud heavily against his chest; "We need to go after him." He said hurriedly, clambering to get to his feet.

Anakin was startled, putting his hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders firmly and keeping him seated; "Easy, Obi-Wan, let the masters handle it!" 

"We can't!" Obi-Wan snapped, pushing Anakin off and getting to his feet, his breathing ragged, "We have to help him, you don't understand, Dooku will kill him if we don't help!"

Anakin's face went livid; "What do you mean?"

"Anakin, Dooku has fallen to the dark side! He's a Sith!" Obi-Wan bit out and hit hurt him so much to say it, to admit it to another person, "We have to hurry, we have to go- NOW!" He felt a sudden wave of emotion and forced himself not to sob. He started repeating the code to himself in a hushed whisper, covering his face with his hands. This was all his fault. He should have been more proactive, he should have seen through the cracks in his masters facade. He should have been-

Anakin gently pulled Obi-Wan's hands from his face and Obi-Wan blinked away tears, forcing himself to meet Anakin's eyes. Anakin tilted his head almost curiously, "We have to hurry." he said quietly, as if understanding Obi-Wan completely for the first time, "We have to go now." He said, more fervently, pulling Obi-Wan with him and finding a trooper. Obi-Wan felt as if he were in and out of a trance, the force felt fuzzy around him.

The transport took off and they were headed towards the canyons.

###

Qui-Gon watched Dooku's speeder as it skidded across the sandy hills. His mind had yet to catch up with what had just occurred. His master, his friend, his father figure, was a Sith lord, possibly the lord of all Sith, and had just initiated the start of a galaxy wide civil war. He combed a worried hand through his hair, listening to the trooper beside him attempt to fix his comm that had gone static. They were fools, Qui-Gon realized, fools who were so blinded by their hubris that they could not see the return of the Sith, the creation of an entire clone army ordered in the name of the Galactic Republic. Before he left Naboo, he had received a private comm from Master Yoda. The green master was offering a position to him on the council. Again. Master Yoda had said they needed him, needed his intuition. This time, Qui-Gon felt he could not refuse, though even he had not foreseen this catastrophe. 

They were approaching the canyons quickly, behind them, a battle on the ground as Separatist warships slowly began to ascend into the sky. Qui-Gon could barely hear himself think over the echos of pain and rage in the force. It made him feel sick and he swayed, trying desperately to keep himself gripped in reality and not lose himself in the churning vortex of the living force. They arrived at the hidden launch pad and he stepped off his ship, turning to the pilot; "Go get reinforcements! Hurry!" He said, the trooper nodding and lifting off again. Qui-Gon turned back to the entrance of the hangar and took a deep, steadying breath before igniting his lightsaber and stepping into the darkness.

Dooku was waiting for him, his hands folded neatly behind his back. The old man's eyes were a blazing shade of gold. Qui-Gon had seen golden eyes before, had seen them in Anakin, but this was different. These eyes belonged to a man unhinged from reality, lost in the promises of the dark side. Qui-Gon frowned, twirling his blade once and stopping several paces from his old master.

_There is no emotion, there is peace._

"I didn't want to believe it was true." Qui-Gon choked out, raising his saber.

_There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

"You are as foolish as the rest of the Jedi, Qui-Gon. I knew there was no hope for you." The force vibrated unnaturally, the air around them becoming frigid.

_There is no passion, there is serenity._

"You are going down a path that I cannot follow."

_There is no chaos, there is harmony._

Dooku spit an ugly laugh, "How right you are! I thought Obi-Wan would be smarter than you, but I was wrong. He too is a fool."

_There is no death, there is the Force._

Qui-Gon was on him in an instantly, calling upon the force as their sabers collided. He gritted his teeth, willing the ache in his heart to let go. To push his emotions into the force. Dooku laughed maniacally, swinging his saber with elite precision. Dooku was a master duelist, the acknowledged master of Makashi, and Qui-Gon realized bitterly that there was no chance that he could best his old master. _But I have to try,_ he thought, _So long as I try there will be hope._ he brought his blade down, grimacing at the way it hissed when Dooku parried him, a knowing smile on his lips, a crazed look in his eyes. _I have to try._

In the back of his mind, he felt the incandescent brightness of Anakin's force signature, Obi-Wan was with him and they were fast approaching the hangar. _What in Sith hells were those two thinking!?_

"I see our padawan's have caught up." Dooku teased, the force becoming slippery, "I'll be sure to give them a proper show."

Qui-Gon furrowed his brows, just barely dipping back away from the hot edge of Dooku's blade. He was tired, his breathing ragged as he lunged forward, attempting a complex saber combination that Dooku parried easily, barely fazed. Granted, Dooku hadn't been fighting for his life against a swarm of battledroids. Qui-Gon saw an opening in Dooku's defense and lifted his foot, kicking Dooku back and moving to decapitate, but the older man nimbly rolled out of the way, using the force to pull at one of the lighting fixtures and toss it at him. Qui-Gon saw it coming and lifted his hand, dropping his guard and realizing too late. Before he could reignite his blade, he felt a searing pain in his chest, looking into the golden eyes of his former master. He had failed.

###

Anakin watched in horror as his master was impaled by Dooku's red lightsaber.

"NO!" He jumped out of the transport much to Obi-Wan's dismay and charged blindly into the hangar with a lightsaber that was not his own.

Dooku parried his attack and grinned wickedly as they began their dance. Anakin was pushed back and they prowled around each other, Anakin swinging his lightsaber, jerking as he attempted to find an opening in Dooku's defenses. This was Obi-Wan's master, a renowned duelist, said to be undefeated. Anakin hadn't even been able to best his padawan, how in Sith hells was he meant to defeat the master if he could not defeat the apprentice? He grimaced, falling into the ready position of Djem So. _He had to try_. It was all he could do now. Dooku brought his saber up and planted his feet firmly on the ground, watching Anakin with eyes that reminded him of a krayt dragon. Yellow, with pupils like slits.

"You are as foolish as your master, boy." Dooku taunted, "You've much potential with the dark side of the force. I saw you use the lightning. I know you wield great power."

Anakin snarled, "Unlike you, I will not be seduced." He hissed, "Your words ring empty."

Dooku spat a laugh; "You are so right." He lunged suddenly forward and Anakin barely had time to react.

The hits came fast and hard, relentless, and Anakin did not have enough stamina to keep up. He found himself being pushed back by Dooku's blows. He brought his blade up to counter a particularly damaging strike and fell onto his back, gasping at the pain of the impact. He rolled out of the way when Dooku brought his saber down, desperately crawling across the floor. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Obi-Wan kneeling over Qui-Gon's body, his hand, pressing on the wound in his chest. Anakin thought he could see his lips moving.

_"I am one with the force, and the force is with me. I am one with the force, and the force is with me."_

Anakin took a gasping breath and rolled into a crouch when Dooku's saber came down, nicking his shoulder. He hissed at the pain, but ignored it, rising to his feet and renewing his assault. Djem so was a form that relied on the power of the user. It was an aggressive form, like Vapaad, which Master Windu refused to teach him, and Juyo, which was forbidden by the Jedi for it's use of the Dark side. He swung down, one two, parry, he dropped to his knees and went to swipe Dooku's legs out from under him but the old man jumped back. Anakin stood up again and swayed, breathing hard. He wondered if he could use force lightning again. He knew Obi-Wan wouldn't like it but if it could knock Dooku out, he was sure the older Padawan could forgive him.

Anakin felt a sudden buzz in the force, a warning as the bright blue lightning cracked through the air and struck him, followed by the sudden and searing pain of a lightsaber drawing across his arm. His saber fell from his disembodied limb and he landed hard on the ground, screaming. The pain was intensified by his exhaustion and he writhed as the focused bolts of energy coursed through his veins. The lightning ceased and he heard Dooku dragging his saber on the ground as he approached, the hiss of burning metal grating against his ear. His body felt numb as he looked to the bleeding nub of his arm.

"Say hello to your master, boy, you will be joining him shortly."

Anakin closed his eyes, he could barely hear what Dooku was saying. He was so tired. _It will be over soon,_ he thought to himself, _I'll finally get to see my mother again._

The blow never came. Anakin opened his eyes, Obi-Wan was standing over him, a snarl on his lip and a glint in his eye; "I'm not losing you, Anakin." He bit out fiercely, "I've lost so much, I'm not losing you too."

Obi-Wan threw Dooku back in the force and called Qui-Gon's saber into his hand, igniting it and crossing it's green blade with his own blue one. Anakin could feel his exhaustion leaking into the force, but the older padawan refused to budge, refused to give up. Anakin closed his eyes, listening to the hum of their sabers cutting through the air, focusing on his breathing. He had been so angry, so caught up in his own grief that he could not see what Obi-Wan had lost as well. They were just two children, fighting for things they didn't understand, wielding power they couldn't control.

###

Obi-Wan felt Anakin slip into unconsciousness. He grimaced slightly, blocking Dooku's heavy blows with the precision that came from years and years of practice. Practice that Obi-Wan realized was meant to prepare him for his fall. But he would not fall, he refused to fall. He blocked another of Dooku's strikes and once against pushed him back, twirling both the sabers in his hand before crouching into the ready position of jar'kai. Dooku arched his brow, his breathing had become labored. Despite drawing on the dark side of the force, he was still an old man, and his bodies limitations were beginning to catch up with him.

 _I don't have to defeat him,_ Obi-Wan told himself, _I just have to outlast him._

"An interesting choice, Obi-Wan." Dooku mused, stalling so that he had time to recuperate. He prowled around him in a circle, Obi-Wan turned to follow his movements, keeping the sabers up, looking for a break in Dooku's defense, "I don't remember ever teaching you jar'kai." 

"You didn't." Obi-Wan bit out, "If I remember correctly, you discouraged me from learning it. So I taught myself."

"Two sabers does not give you a better chance at victory." Dooku chided, pausing, "Two blades divides your focus. It makes you sloppy."

"Really?" Obi-Wan taunted, "Why don't you test that theory for yourself."

Dooku's face twisted in annoyance, he swung his saber up and snarled; "I've let you grow too confident. I should have been harder on you."

"You were hard enough, Dooku." Obi-Wan said simply, "My confidence is never false." 

Dooku roared, raising his hand suddenly and shooting force lightning from the tips of his fingers. That is when Obi-Wan knew his master was truly lost. He would have never made such a foolish move otherwise. Obi-Wan raised one of his sabers and caught the lightning on it's blade, his lip curling into a sneer as he poured all his concentration into deflecting the unbridled energy away from his body. After a moment, Dooku let his hand fall, his breathing labored and his eyes wide. He had wasted his energy on the chance that Obi-Wan wouldn't be able to stop his attack.

Obi-Wan offered him a sad smile; "You did teach me to be untouchable, master." He twirled his blade and held his sabers in the reverse grip; "You don't stand a chance, give up now." 

Dooku sneered at him, "It is you who doesn't stand a chance, my apprentice!" he lunged forward and Obi-Wan exhaled, falling into the force as they collided.

It was a blur of green and blue and red, the flashes of light were mesmerizing and the only thing that grounded Obi-Wan in reality. He focused entirely on on defending himself, keeping Dooku just out of reach for the time being. Of all the people he had dueled against, Dooku had always been the most challenging. A master of Makashi, his master had always been patient, but now that he had been touched by the dark side, unhinged by his hunger for power, his patience was running short. Obi-Wan knew this. His master had admonished the Jedi for becoming victims of their hubris, but Dooku was just as guilty. It wasn't that Dooku could win, it was that he believed he would win no matter what. 

Obi-Wan leaned back as Dooku made to slice him open in the mid section. He took a deep breath in and switched from defense to offense. slamming Dooku with a barage of calculated strikes and complex moves. When Dooku began anticipating his moves he switched styles, leaping into the air with Ataru and striking him with Soresu. He could feel Dooku's annoyance prickling in the force. _Choose one style and stick with it, Padawan,_ Dooku had chided him in the past, _If you don't focus on one style you will never learn all of its intricacies._ Unfortunately for Dooku, once Obi-Wan had mastered one style he would just hop to another one. It wasn't hard to master multiple styles, it just required patience, to ignore other styles was a sign of laziness. Obi-Wan almost smirked, the mental image of his former master being lazy was actually quite amusing.

Dooku thrust his hand forward and threw Obi-Wan back in the force. The older padawan landed in a crouch, keeping his eyes on his former master. The old man was tired, too tired too keep going. Obi-Wan could hear the troopers approaching in their gunships. He could feel Dooku beginning to panic in the force. Obi-Wan just had to stall him long enough for the reinforcements to arrive and apprehend him. He moved back into ready position, raising his sabers and quirking his brow to Dooku. The older man glared at him, glancing to the opening of the hanger, then back at him before suddenly raising his hand and collapsing one of the supports above- above Aankin. 

_NO._

Obi-Wan dropped the sabers and lifted his hands, concentrating as hard as he could as the ceiling began tumbling down. Anakin continued to lay unconscious, Obi-Wan grunted, fixing his stance and grimacing as he felt the weight bearing down on him in the force. He heard Dooku scoff at him, calling him pathetic as he went to his Solar Sailer and walked up the boarding ramp.

"Coward!" Obi-Wan screamed after him, but he received no response. 

The starship took off and Obi-Wan was left alone, desperately trying to keep the boulders from falling on Anakin's mangled body. He closed his eyes, feeling his concentration beginning to slip, _I'm sorry, Anakin._ He pushed the thought out through the force when the boulders suddenly became lighter. He glanced over to the entrance of the hanger and saw Master Yoda, his small green claws raised above his head, his brows drawn together in concentration. Together, they threw the rocks off to the side and Obi-Wan collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.

He heard Yoda approach him, his grimer stick tapping on the ground. He lifted his eyes and saw the old master looking down to him, his ears quirked up in amusement; "Tired, you are, Padawan Kenobi." the master croaked, "Fought well, you have."

"Master, I'm sorry, I-" Obi-Wan started but Master Yoda held his hand up for silence, so Obi-Wan closed his mouth.

"Understand, I do." Master Yoda said quietly, "My apprentice, he was." 

Obi-Wan nodded feebly, he cast his eyes to Qui-Gon's dead body, the older man looked almost serene. He heard an echo in the force and looked over to Anakin who was falling in and out of consciousness. Master Yoda was returning to the entrance of the hangar; "A medic, we need." He heard the green master say, "Hurry, you should."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your support!


	17. in which Anakin and Obi-Wan have a quiet moment

Anakin was awoken by the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor. His eyes opened slowly, watching the line go up and down in sync with his heartbeat. He went to rub his face but his arm wouldn't move. Furrowing his brows, he tried to sit up, looking down and feeling his gut lurch. It wasn't that his arm couldn't move. His arm wasn't there at all. The panic rising in his chest made the monitor beep in warning, he heard a pair of fast footsteps quickly make their way to his chamber. Healer Che rushed in first, mumbling something about him being awake and gently trying to push him down. Anakin looked at her, his brows furrowed, confused before his eyes flicked to Obi-Wan, standing at the entrance, his eyes wide and fearful. Anakin tried to push against Healer Che much to her protest.

"Obi-Wan..." He slurred out, batting at the poor master and dislodging an IV that had been put in his flesh arm.

Obi-Wan was suddenly by his side, whispering softly, telling him to relax, that everything was alright as Healer Che poked the IV back into his arm, scolding him the entire time. Once Anakin satisfied her inspection, the master left, shooting Obi-Wan a weary look as she went.

Anakin waited for her footsteps to become quiet before attempting to sit up again. This time though, Obi-Wan pressed a hand firmly down on his chest, keeping it there when Anakin slowly leant back down, searching Obi-wan's face. The older padawan wore a tight smile, much like the smile he showed when they had first met. Anakin longed to see Obi-Wan's actual smile, all white teeth and dimples. He went to raise his hand to Obi-Wan's cheek only to remember that he didn't have a hand to raise anymore, swallowing thickly as he leaned his head back, tears pricking the corners of his eyes and rolling down his cheeks with a strangled sound in the back of his throat.

Obi-Wan quietly pulled a chair over to his bed side, his hand gently moving around Anakin's flesh hand, rubbing calming circles over the palm; "Anakin..." He said gently and Anakin turned his head so that he could see him better, his lips pressed together and his face flushed red. Obi-Wan gave him an almost pitying look and Anakin wanted to scream at him. He wanted to summon his rage, throw Obi-Wan back with the force, take all of his pain out on him. The older padawan watched him for a moment before taking Anakin's hand and gently raising it to his lips, giving his knuckles a soft kiss, and Anakin felt his rage and grief give way to startled confusion. He hadn't expected something so gentle.

"I'm glad you're awake," Obi-Wan said quietly, "I thought you weren't going to make it."

Anakin tried to scoff, but it landed wrong and Obi-Wan's expression twisted a bit, "I assure you," he managed to spit out, "I'm not that easy to get rid of."

Obi-Wan watched Anakin with pain behind his eyes, moving to let go of his hand when Anakin grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down, kissing him fiercely. Obi-Wan's eyes widened in surprise before he was kissing him back just as fervently, pressing him down into the stiff mat. Anakin made a desperate noise when Obi-Wan pulled away, biting his lip as he went with a huff and a smirk on his face.

"Why, Anakin." He breathed out, still so incredibly close, "That was very forward of you."

Anakin bit out a laugh and grinned at him; "I thought you were going to leave."

Obi-Wan was quiet for a moment, slowly tracing his hand up Anakin's arm, careful to avoid the IV; "I thought about it," he said finally, "I thought about going separate ways, about never seeing or saying anything to you again."

Anakin furrowed his brows, his confusion and panic bleeding into the force; "What, why? Why would you-"

Obi-Wan pressed a hand to his mouth, his eyes searching his face, "Because I was afraid." He choked out, and Anakin blinked as he watched the tears slide down his cheeks. Even when he cried, Anakin realized, he looked so pretty; "I was afraid that I'd get attached to you, that it would cloud my judgement, cause me to make the wrong decisions." He let out a shaky breath, "and I was right, but I couldn't be sorry for it, I had to save your life Anakin, I couldn't let you die. I let Dooku go because I wanted you to live." He dropped his head down onto Anakin's chest and the younger padawan watched him, realization dawning on him.

"You let Dooku go?" He asked, and Obi-Wan nodded, his breathing ragged as he tried to choke down his sobs, "Why would you- Obi-Wan, he's a Sith lord!"

"I didn't want to!" Obi-Wan snapped at him and Anakin flinched, startled, "but that's what I'm saying! I knew I could have stopped him, prevented the start of this- this horrible war, but I chose you instead." He breathed out, "because I loved you."

Anakin's eyes widened and this time he did sit up, trying to brace himself on his phantom limb and falling back when it wasn't there, staring at Obi-Wan in shock. Did he hear him right? Did Obi-Wan just say that he loved him?

Obi-Wan was watching him with his lips pressed together and his face scrunched, clearly not as elated as Anakin was by that revelation, "You love me?"

"Yes, for kriffs sake, Anakin, I love you!" Obi-wan hissed at him, folding his arms over his chest and trying to look menacing but it didn't work. His face was too ruddy from crying and his eyes looked so brightly blue it was mesmerizing, "And I didn't want to lose you. I was so afraid of losing you Anakin."

Anakin was quiet for a long moment now, processing what Obi-Wan was saying; "I think love is a kind of strong word," He said quietly, still reeling.

Obi-Wan stared at him for a long moment before grabbing him and kissing him hard. It was a biting, angry kiss; "You're so stupid, you know that?" He breathed out between their lips; "Jedi aren't meant to have attachments, this is so stupid, I can't believe you're letting me do this." 

Anakin gave him a breathy laugh, moving to pull Obi-Wan onto the bed, only to remember once again that he didn't have an arm to grab him with. He huffed haughtily, wiggling his nub and furrowing his brows. Obi-wan looked to his arm and furrowed his brow, reaching out and touching the scarred tissue. Anakin winced and pulled it a way, shooting him a warning look.

"Sorry," Obi-Wan murmured, sitting back and making sure Anakin's IV was still in his arm, "does- does it hurt?" He asked, his eyes flicking over to Anakin's face.

"No, it doesn't hurt at all." Anakin murmured, "it's all healed up now. I guess I'm going to need a prosthetic."

Obi-Wan nodded, moving his hand and gently brushing it through Anakin's hair. The younger padawan closed his eyes; "I heard Padme say that she would be able to have one made for you on Naboo. A custom one, so that it wouldn't get in the way of your lightsaber combat."

Anakin nodded, focusing on Obi-Wan's touch before opening his eyes again and frowning; "Is she okay? Padme, is she alright?"

"She's fine, Anakin." Obi-Wan said, continuing to pet through his hair. He noticed the way Anakin's face twisted and he frowned slightly, "Anakin, it's not your fault that she was injured. If I hadn't sent out that transmission-"

"Don't you dare say what I think you're going to say." Anakin hissed at him and Obi-Wan quirked his brow, "None of this is your fault, Obi-Wan."

"Yes it is!" Obi-Wan said suddenly, rising to his feet, his face red and angry; "All of this is my fault! If I had paid closer attention, if I hadn't let my emotions get in the way, I would have noticed what was happening to my Master, I would have been able to stop all of this if I hadn't been so blind!" Anakin pressed his lips together, listening to the older padawan; "You got hurt because of me! Qui-Gon is dead because of me!"

"Qui-Gon didn't believe Dooku was a Sith!" Anakin snapped back at him, "Nobody did, Obi-Wan, nobody saw this coming!"

"But I should have." Obi-Wan said, "I was close to him, I spent every day of my life with him for eight years, Anakin."

"It's not your fault, Obi-wan!" Anakin said quietly, "he was a great mentor and good friend of yours, of course you wouldn't have suspected anything. You don't suspect the people who are closest to you. You never do." 

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, exhaling through his nose and slumping back down into his chair; "I'm sorry, I'm being insenstive." He murmured.

Anakin shook his head, "No, you're being human." he said. He remembered when Padme had indulged him when they went to Tattooine together to see his mother. He remembered feeling his mother die in his arms. He felt a sudden spike of cold run up his spine and he looked away. He remembered Padme's words when he told her about how he slaughtered the village of Tusken raiders.

 _"To be angry is to be human, Anakin."_

The dark side had never been stronger in him. Qui-Gon could sense it when they returned, he had hounded Anakin relentlessly, but it was his greatest secret and he wasn't ready to tell Qui-Gon. He had thought he failed that day. He did tell the Chancellor though, who had noticed he was so upset. The Chancellor understood, he told Anakin that what he had done was admirable in some ways. That everyone in that village would have known she was there, that she had been for weeks. The Chancellor and Padme had been so understanding with him, he thought that it was only fair that he be understanding with Obi-Wan. Even if from some point of view, it really was all his fault. He wanted to be there for him, especially since he had proclaimed something as strong as love.

Anakin took a deep breath and tried to convey as much understanding as he could to Obi-Wan with only his eyes before he said, "Even if it was all your fault, Obi-Wan," He began, feeling Obi-Wan's force signature twist again, he took another deep breath, "Even if it was your fault I would forgive you. Even if it was your fault that Qui-Gon was dead, that Padme had been hurt, I'd forgive you." he rolled onto his side, leaning into Obi-Wan's space, "Because I love you too." 

###

Obi-Wan watched the flames lick around the funeral pyre, the smoke billowing up through the opening in the ceiling. They had waited to burn Qui-Gon's body, so that Anakin could be there. He looked over to him now, they had yet to go to Naboo, his arm was still a nub hidden by a knot in his robes. The masters all looked at Anakin wearily, whispered about how he used the force lightning on Geonosis. They whispered about how he had touched the dark side. They did not whisper the same things about Obi-Wan. They called Obi-Wan "Sith Slayer," a hero. It wasn't fair.

After the funeral, Obi-Wan went to Anakin's apartment, the apartment that he had once shared with Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan went to knock but hesitated, suddenly reconsidering his decision. _This was wrong,_ He thought, _Anakin is probably mourning right now, he doesn't want to see me, what was I thinking?_ He turned back around, about to head back to his own quarters when the door behind him hissed opened.

"Don't go." He heard Anakin whisper. How could he have said no to him?

Soon, he was settled on Anakin's sofa as the younger man rummaged through the cupboards looking for a tin of tea. Obi-Wan tugged absently at his braid. He hadn't cut it yet. Anakin hadn't cut his braid either. It was as if they were still holding on to the past, refusing to let go. Anakin eventually came to join Obi-Wan on the sofa, offering him a cup of tea which he gratefully accepted.

"I'm sorry to disturb you." Obi-Wan said after a long moment of silence, taking a sip of his tea.

"No, It's okay." Anakin said hurriedly, "Your presence, it's, it's soothing. I'm glad you're here." He said quietly, looking away.

Obi-Wan stared at his cup for a long moment, "What are we going to do now, Anakin?" He asked, "We're to go before the council soon. They're going to decide if we're to be knighted or not."

Anakin scoffed, leaning back into the sofa, "You'll be knighted. I doubt I'll be given the same honor."

Obi-Wan blinked at him, furrowing his brows in confusion; "What do you mean?"

"Don't act like you don't know." Anakin seethed quietly and it made Obi-Wan flinch, "I was in one of the training rooms earlier, and do you know what one of the other padawan's said to me? 'My master told me I should be careful around you, she said you used force lightning.'"

Obi-Wan inhaled sharply, staring at Anakin with wide eyes, "I'm so sorry." he whispered, his eyes dropping back down to his tea.

"It's not your fault, Obi-Wan." Anakin said again. He had been saying that ever since he woke up in the Halls of Healing. As if saying it made it so.

"Even still," Obi-Wan murmured, "you don't deserve that kind of disrespect. Especially from another padawan." 

Anakin shrugged, "I'll just have to work harder. Be stronger. Be better than everyone else and prove them wrong."

Obi-wan snorted and Anakin snapped his head to him, his eyes accusing; "I love your simple logic." He teased lightly and Anakin's shoulders dropped, a weary smile crossing his face.

"You do?" He paused for a moment, dropping his gaze, "Is that... the only thing you love?"

Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was going to bring it up eventually. He stared at his tea for a long moment before gently setting it down on the coffee table and turning his body to face him. He looked to Anakin's eyes, saw the vulnerability peeling under his facade. This was important to him, it felt as if the answer would make or break the younger man. He reached out and tugged Anakin's padawan braid, keeping their gazes level.

"No, I love everything about you, Anakin." He said quietly, "You know that."

Anakin smiled, scooting closer to him and putting his arm around him, seeking physical contact; "You're right, I do." he murmured, leaning his head on Obi-Wan's shoulder and smiling up to him, "Do you know that I love you too?"

"You might have mentioned it." Obi-Wan huffed, moving to pick up his cup of tea when Anakin caught his hand and pulled him into a kiss. It was awkward at first, Anakin still moving his body like he had two arms but it felt so natural not even a moment later.

Obi-Wan kissed him gently, not rushing anything. He felt like he had rushed into a lot of things lately, and he didn't want this to be something he would regret. Anakin was enthusiastic, of course, maybe a little too enthusiastic considering the heaviness of that day, but Obi-Wan couldn't fault him for it. He wanted to be comforted so Obi-Wan would comfort him, if only to keep him from slipping away. He had a nightmare when they had first returned to the temple, Anakin suddenly being engulfed in blackness, Obi-Wan would reach out to grab his hand only for it to be cut off by a red saber. Obi-Wan wasn't able to save him in his dreams. He pulled away from Anakin after a moment, too caught up in his thoughts, he exhaled quietly.

"We shouldn't be doing this right now." He murmured quietly, needing a moment to get a handle on his feelings.

"Why not?"

Obi-Wan shot him a look; "Anakin, you just said goodbye to your master for the last time today." 

"I know." Anakin said, his voice pained, "I don't want to think about that right now though." he leaned over into Obi-Wan's space again, tilting his head; "Will you distract me? Please?"

Obi-Wan looked to him helplessly, "And how would you like me to... distract you?" Obi-Wan asked, searching Anakin's eyes.

"Just stay with me tonight?" Anakin asked, "You can say no, though, if you don't want to." He bit out hurriedly, as if he were afraid of stepping over Obi-Wan's boundaries.

Obi-Wan huffed a laugh, pressing a kiss to Anakin's forehead; "If you want me to stay the night, Anakin, I will." he murmured, and Anakin smiled to him gratefully, snuggling close up to his side.

They stayed like that for awhile, and it felt almost nostalgic. Not long ago, they had been in a similar situation, in Obi-Wan's apartment. But that moment felt worlds apart now. So much had happened so fast. It almost felt like it would never end either, the pain would just keep coming, but in a quiet moment like this, Obi-Wan thought he didn't feel that pain anymore. He didn't know exactly when it happened, but Anakin had pressed into him and kissed him so sweetly, Obi-Wan's hand began to wander. 

He didn't know when it happened, but he was in Anakin's bed, showing Anakin how to use his fingers and stretch him open. He didn't have a condom, and Obi-Wan warned him that if he came inside he'd have Anakin meet the cosmic force, and Anakin assured him that he would be able to pull out. It didn't take long, despite how careful Anakin was being and it took everything Obi-Wan had not to throw him down and just ride him. It was Anakin's first time, he told himself, don't rush him on his first time. When Anakin finally pushed inside there was a moment where every muscle in his body tensed before relaxing, his jaw hanging slack and Obi-Wan gave him an incredulous laugh.

"Is my ass really that amazing?" He breathed out, shifting and biting back a moan.

"Shut up." Anakin huffed, face flushed, his breathing uneven as he pushed in experimentally, flicking his eyes up to Obi-Wan's face, seeing if it was okay.

"Anakin, kriffing _move_ already!" Obi-Wan whined, stretching his arms over his head and rocking himself down on Anakin's dick.

The younger man groaned pleasurably, he put his hand on Obi-Wan's waist, feeling down to his hip and holding him steady as he started moving. Obi-Wan pressed the side of his face into the pillow, letting his mouth fall open as he relaxed into the rhythm. He felt his brain getting fuzzy with the pleasure, not holding back his sounds now, little 'ahs' and 'ohs' as he rocked back to meet Anakin's thrusts. Anakin was much more vocal, he'd grunt and moan and try his best to keep it down but he wasn't very good at it. It also didn't take him very long finish, forcing himself to pull out but he didn't move in time to catch his spend as it spurted across Obi-Wan's stomach. Obi-Wan made a rude noise at him, he hadn't finished yet but before he could sit up Anakin was pressing him back down into the bed and curiously pressing his lips to the tip of Obi-wan's cock.

Obi-Wan arched a brow at him but didn't protest, his head tossed back when he was enveloped in the wet heat of Anakin's mouth. Anakin didn't really know what he was doing, but he was a fast learner, careful to keep his teeth out of the way, pressing his tongue along the underside of Obi-Wan's dick. Obi-Wan gritted his teeth a bit before arching his back and moaning, "Anakin, Ani, you gotta pull off, I'm gonna-" his orgasm hit him before he could finish. Anakin startled and pulled back, come splattering on his face and he flinched, closing his eyes and groaning at the feeling. Obi-Wan pushed himself up onto his elbows and raised his brows at him.

"Oh, Anakin, you're such a mess." He whispered, grabbing Anakin by his braid and yanking him forward into a kiss. The younger padawan blinked at him sleepily, kissing him back slowly and pressing his hand along his chest and side. Obi-Wan broke away first and huffed when Anakin chased his lips, gently pushing Anakin back onto the bed and getting up, "I'll be back, don't go anywhere." he murmured, going into the fresher.

When he returned, Anakin was already asleep, spunk still smeared in his hair and on his cheeks. Obi-Wan huffed incredulously, bringing a warm washcloth over the younger padawan's skin, making sure to get his hair too. Anakin startled awake at first but Obi-Wan shushed him with a kiss, finishing cleaning him up before laying down with him. Anakin watched him with sleepy eyes, blinking slowly. They tangled their limbs together, seeking each others warmth before falling finally to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your support! This chapter was especially cathartic to write, we needed a break in all the action I think. If you want to scream at me about star wars, you can find me on tumblr under the same username!


	18. in which Anakin and Obi-Wan are brought before the council

They stood before the council, two young Jedi, two young _Padawans_ both masterless at the beginning of an intergalactic war. Mace Windu's lips drew into a tight line. In the days the followed the Battle of Geonosis, the Council had discussed what should become of them. They had suffered a great loss, master Qui-Gon dead, a vacant seat on the council and no one to fill it. The council agreed unanimously that Obi-Wan should be knighted, that he had been ready to be knighted years ago. He was the best of them, after all, the only reason he hadn't taken his trials was because Count Dooku insisted he needed more time. More time to groom Obi-Wan into being a Sith Lord. Mace's expression twisted at the thought and he closed his eyes. But it was not Obi-Wan he was so concerned for. It was Anakin Skywalker.

Since the very beginning of the young mans journey to become a Jedi, members of the Order, the Council included, had been skeptical of him. Too old, too attached to his mother. He couldn't be a Jedi. But Qui-Gon had insisted. Insisted that Anakin was the Chosen One, that he would bring balance to the Force. What if the Sith had gotten their hands on him? Mace wondered, bitterly, if they already had. The force lightning on Geonosis had shocked everyone, frightened the older masters. Anakin had always been very passionate, his emotions fueled his power in the force. He would not train Anakin in Vapaad even though the padawan had begged him so desperately. When Mace refused and made his refusal final the young man sulked off. Later, Qui-Gon told him he had gone with the Chancellor to the lower levels. He had never seen the tall man, always so serene, look so disheveled. This would become an ongoing problem, as Anakin became more and more distant with his master. And now that master was dead.

_"He's not ready to be knighted." Ki-Adi Mundi said firmly, his lips drawn tight; "If need be, I will train him myself. He cannot be knighted with how unstable he is."_

_"Would not granting him knighthood make him more unstable, though?" Plo Koon asked, his voice distorted by his respirator, "He has shown incredible growth. Not only that, he has had roughly the same amount of time to train as Padawan Kenobi."_

_"See, the difference there is that Obi-Wan was a hard worker, while Anakin hardly worked." Oppo Rancisis sneered, "The only Jedi training Anakin showed interest in was training with a lightsaber. And he fails even at that."_

_Mace listened to the other masters as they bickered, slowly closing his eyes and dropping his head. He opened them again and snuck a glance at Master Yoda, who just listened quietly, his expression neutral. Mace looked away to survey the other masters, Shaak Ti and Plo Koon were firm in their belief that Anakin was ready to be knighted. The rest were either undecided or against it entirely. In that moment, he thought of his own Padawan, Depa Billaba. The vacated seat was due to her being in stasis. She had slipped to the dark side, only for a moment, tried to kill herself when she realized the horrible sins she had committed. He couldn't help but draw parallels between her and Anakin. He couldn't help but see his own Padawan in the young man who had also slipped, but instead of free falling, had grabbed desperately onto Obi-Wan who kept his head above the water. A beacon of light over Anakin's raging sea. The councils incessant bickering was beginning to reach its peak and Mace had had enough._

_The dark master stood abruptly, a deathly silence falling around the room as the other masters eyed him wearily; "We are getting nowhere in this argument." He said, "And I grow tired of listening to supposedly the best and brightest of us argue for the fate of a young man who used force lightning once."_

_he heard Oppo scoff, "You only say that because you see Depa in him and you know how we feel about that."_

_Mace grimaced, "I know that you have her in stasis because you don't want to tackle the issue." he snapped, "Now listen well," he was sure to level a gaze with each and every one of his fellow masters, "Is it the Jedi way to turn our backs on the light when it grows dim? We must have faith in our youth. We are what they grow beyond. Look at us. There is a disparity of generations among this council. This galaxy is changing and we must change with it. We must adapt." He looked to Master Yoda, "I say we knight them both."_

_"He lacks restraint, he foolishly put Senator Amidala in danger." He heard Agen Kolar say steadily._

_"Senator Amidala told us that it was her idea to follow Obi-Wan." Kit Fisto pointed out, his hands clasped over his mouth, his black eyes watching the ground as if lost in thought._

_"My point," Mace said, reeling the other masters back in, "is that he is ready to be knighted."_

_"He would be the youngest Jedi to have been knighted in centuries." Ki-Adi Mundi said wearily._

_"My padawan is only a few years older than he is, and is currently being rushed through his trials because of the war." Kit Fisto pointed out, seeming to come to his decision, "I agree with Mace. It would be most beneficial to knight him now. With the start of the war, we can't assign him to another master. Ki-Adi, you're a member of the council, it would stretch you too thin."_

_"Do not underestimate my abilities." Ki-Adi snapped, but he deflated, "I agree that he should not be tossed from the order. I just wish we had more time."_

_"Time, we do not have." Master Yoda finally spoke, snapping all their attention to him. He tapped his grimer stick to the ground, "War, this is. And a long war it will be. Need young Skywalker to be knighted, we do. Need young Kenobi to be knighted, we do. Ready, they both are not. Scars from the loss of their masters, still bleed. Go forward cautiously, we will."_

_"Then we have come to an agreement?" Shaak asked, eyeing the other members of the council._

_"Come to an agreement, we have."_

Mace opened his eyes now to see the pair standing before them. Anakin rocking on his heels, his arm crossed over his chest as he fidgeted with the knot in the sleeve of his robe where his other arm should have been. Obi-Wan stood at attention, completely still with his hands behind his back. They looked more different than night and day. He turned to master Yoda, who nodded to him as he stood up.

"The council has come to a decision on your fates. As Padawans. As Jedi." He began carefully, watching Anakin tense up and glance wearily to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan did not move, but Mace could sense him sending a calming wave to Anakin through the force. _He will be a good master,_ Mace thought but pushed that aside for now.

Master Yoda stood next, "Challenged, both of you have been, by the dark side. Tempted, by it's power." his voice was raspy, "Know this, we do. Diligent, you must always be in the fight against it." 

Plo Koon stood now, "Despite the temptations of the dark side you both rejected it, the light side of the force has never been stronger in you. Obi-Wan, when you refused Count Dooku. Anakin, when you chose to protect your master." 

The other masters rose and the lights in the council room dimmed. Anakin and Obi-Wan both looked around and Mace could sense their anxiety bleeding into the force. "In the order, you shall stay." Master Yoda croaked, "Knighted, you shall be." 

The Padawan's eyes shot wide opened and their mouths gaped. The force became electrified with with their excitement and Mace had to suppress a smile. It was necessity that dictated their decision. He didn't believe either of them were truly ready for knighthood, they were too young, they still had so much to learn. But in this moment, feeling their giddiness and watching their faces split with grins, he could forget about the circumstances. He could forget about the war. If only he could save a moment, a feeling, but it was not the Jedi way to possess things. He waited for the two to calm down before igniting his saber. 

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, kneel." he said, his voice firm and commanding as ever.

He watched the older Padawan slowly take the knee, his head bowed. Mace could practically feel the Padawan's heart pounding in his chest. He brought his purple saber to Obi-Wan's shoulder, "By the right of the council, and the will of the force, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, you may rise." and he did, the young man bowing deeply before stepping back. Mace turned his attention to Anakin.

"Anakin Skywalker." He tilted his chin up and Anakin lifted his chin in response, a challenge, as always, "On your knee."

Anakin scoffed at him, though he grinned like a fool before lowering down. Mace heard members of the council chuckle quietly, some shook their heads. It didn't matter what they thought of Anakin, however, the decision had already been made. "By the right of the council, and the will of the force, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, you may rise." 

###

They left the council chambers in a blur, Anakin was still reeling about what had happened. Once the door hissed shut behind them, he looked to Obi-Wan. The older Padawan- no, the older _knight_ looked at him with a smirk; "Congratulations, Knight Skywalker." He teased and Anakin scoffed at him.

"Congratulations to you as well, Knight Kenobi." He said back before being pulled into a tight hug. Anakin smiled, putting his good arm around Obi-Wan and hugging him, his heart pounding in his chest.

He heard someone clear their throat and looked up to see Quinlan Vos standing in the hallway, leaning against one of the support beams and arching his brow at them. The scars that once rippled his skin had all been healed. Anakin moved in front of Obi-Wan, puffing his chest out only to have Obi-Wan gently place a hand on his shoulder. Anakin deflated, grumbling as Obi-Wan stepped around him. Anakin folded his arm over his chest, tugging at the knot in his robe as he watched Obi-Wan speak to Quinlan.

Quinlan made a gesture to Anakin with his hand, his brows furrowed. Anakin wished he knew what they were saying but the comments were followed by hushed words from Obi-Wan, he was speaking fast and judging by the lilt in his voice, the tilt of his head as he crossed his arms, he was not happy. Quinlan eventually dropped his shoulders and looked away, he seemed upset. Anakin felt his gut twist and he looked away so that the older knight wouldn't see his smirk. He knew it was wrong for him to feel this way, but he couldn't stop himself. Eventually, Quinlan retreated down the hall, his pace quick and angry, leaving Obi-Wan to stand alone, looking down at the toes of his boots as if rapt in thought.

Anakin took a deep breath before approaching him, "What's wrong?" he asked quietly, "did he say something to you?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, "No, Anakin, it's nothing like that." he murmured, rubbing his arm.

Anakin huffed, resting his chin on Obi-Wan's shoulder and pouting at him. Obi-wan scoffed and after glancing around a moment, pecked a kiss on his cheek; "We really can't be all over each other, Anakin." he murmured, pushing the younger knight off.

Anakin rolled his eyes and followed Obi-Wan down the hall, "That's not what you were saying last night." 

Obi-Wan gave him a look when they returned to Anakin's apartment, waiting for the younger man to punch in the passcode before following inside.

"We also can't talk about last night, or any other nights out in the open like that." Obi-Wan huffed, "We're still Jedi."

"But we love each other." Anakin said after waiting for the door to hiss shut behind him. He looked to Obi-Wan, feeling especially vulnerable and maybe a little pathetic, "Don't we?"

Obi-Wan's expression softened and he sighed, stepping into Anakin's space and tugging his still present padawan braid thoughtfully. Obi-Wan hadn't cut his braid either. Even though they had been knighted, they were still padawan's at heart, not ready to lead men to war. "We do. I do, Anakin." He murmured softly, resting his head in the crook of Anakin's neck. 

"But just because we love eachother doesn't mean we're not Jedi," he said, pulling back now, "And Jedi don't have attachments. Anakin, if people knew, we'd be expelled from the Order."

"So, you're telling me I have to let you go?" Anakin squeaked out and Obi-Wan pressed his lips into a thin line.

"If we must." Obi-Wan murmured, dropping his gaze.

"What if- what if we kept it a secret?" Anakin said hurriedly. Obi-Wan arched a brow at him and he took a deep breath, "We can love each other and stay in the order if we don't tell anyone."

"Anakin," Obi-Wan started but Anakin was in space and pressing close to him, resting their foreheads together.

"Please? I'm so alone, Obi-Wan." he murmured quietly, "I don't want to be alone anymore."

Obi-Wan was quiet for a long time before sighing deeply, "You're not alone Anakin, I'm right here." he murmured quietly, "I'm right in front of you."

Anakin relaxed minutely, stepping back a bit and lightly taking Obi-Wan's braid into his hand. The older knight watched him, his eyes flickering up to Anakin momentarily as he let the braid slip through his fingers; "We have to cut these, right?"

Obi-Wan nodded and Anakin could feel the room bleed cold for a moment. Grief and despair. He frowned a bit, leaning down and gently pressing a kiss to the braid before letting it fall from his hand, "Why don't... why don't we cut each others braids?"

Obi-Wan snapped his head up, his brows raised almost comically, "What? Are you sure?"

"Yes." Anakin said firmly, taking Obi-Wan's hand in his and looking at him, "We're knights now, and we're in this together, aren't we?"

Obi-Wan looked at his hand, then back to Anakin, a small smile touched his lips and he laughed softly. It made Anakin's stomach flutter and his heart beat a little too fast. This perfect man who he'd do anything for, who would do anything for him, could bring him to his knees with only a smile.

"Yea," Obi-Wan said, his voice almost a whisper, "alright. Let's do it."

In the darkened apartment they ignited their sabers, bringing them up to each others cheek. It was intimate in the strangest way, and Anakin didn't think he'd ever be able to replicate the feeling. When their braids were severed they stood together for a long moment before disabling their sabers and falling into each other. Anakin felt Obi-Wan take a stuttering breath against his chest and looked down to see the older man crying softly. Anakin never wanted to see him cry again. He would take away Obi-Wan's sadness, take away his hurt. He would make Dooku pay for his betrayal, for the death of his master. He would do all of that soon, he told himself, but right now, he would wrap his arm around Obi-Wan and kiss away his tears. 

"Come with me to Naboo?" Anakin asked quietly when they finally retired to bed.

Obi-Wan snorted, laying on his back and tilting his head to look at Anakin, scrutinize him, "And how are we going to justify _that_ to the council?"

"I need an escort, I'm no good at fighting with my flesh hand." Anakin said in a mock tone which made Obi-Wan roll his eyes.

"...Alright."

"Alright?"

"Alright."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's about the *parallels* and the *foreshadowing*  
> Thanks for all your support!


	19. in which Anakin wants Obi-wan all to himself

They arrived on Naboo shortly after they had been knighted before the council. Obi-Wan watched the blue streaks blink away to the endless vacuum of space dotted with distant stars. He rested his chin on the heel of his palm, his eyes tracking other starships as they left atmo and jumped to hyperspace. Not long ago, Naboo's royal palace had been under siege by Separatist forces. Luckily, the royal court and its queen were found in a secret underground bunker. Nobody of importance to the government died, but Obi-Wan still remembered feeling the sick twist of death wihin the palace's walls. He knew it was the duty of a soldier to die for their people, but to throw themselves so hopelessly onto the blade of their enemy in hopes that their queen would survive was a horrid thought. At least they had not died in vain.

He looked to Anakin now, sitting across from him, his eyes drooping from the rocket lag. They both wore civilian clothes, as nobody was meant to know that the Jedi were coming to Naboo. It was a private occasion, one of necessity so that Anakin would have time to adjust to his new prosthetic. The doctors on Naboo had sent him several schematics, all of which the younger man had problems with, but he settled for one that was gilded with gold, intricate wiring and gears, special metal that wouldn't need to be greased as often to stay fluid. Obi-Wan scoffed when he saw it, saying it looked too garish for a Jedi but Anakin only laughed. Obi-Wan turned his attention back to the transparinsteel viewport, watching the streaks of color as they descended into atmo. They were to meet with Padme before they were taken to the Lake Country, where Padme's family had generously offered them their summer home.

They landed shortly after, Obi-Wan standing and jostling his companion awake. Anakin was resistant, of course, grumbling at him like a taunton but stood never the less. His once shorn hair was growing out thick and curly. Obi-Wan liked his curls, like the way they framed his face and hung loose near the nape of his neck. It made him look both strangely younger and more mature at the same time. Obi-Wan was growing his hair out as well. His was not curly, however, it was pin strait, the copper color catching the light brilliantly, a mustache and beared of the same color were just barely beginning to mask his face. When he was a youngling people always told him that his hair was quite attractive. It used to make him blush, he used to be embarrassed, but it only fed into his confidence when he got older. Of course he was pretty. He knew he was pretty. He didn't need people to tell him every three seconds that he was pretty but as soon as they stepped onto the landing platform, he was bombarded with compliments.

"I couldn't help but notice your hair, it's a lovely color."

"You're so handsome! I have a daughter who would love to meet you." 

"Would you mind exchanging frequencies? I'd love to get in touch with you."

At first it was jarring, Obi-Wan hadn't had so many people take an interest in him since he had first become a padawan and gone to the outer rim, where the Jedi were a myth and the padawan braid didn't signify anything other than an interesting style choice. Obi-Wan tried to be polite, but Anakin was less delicate, putting his good arm over Obi-Wan's shoulder and tugging him closer, flashing a too bright smile and telling the assailants to kindly back away. When the people scurried off and they were alone on the platform, Obi-Wan swatted Anakin's arm which earned him a rude noise.

"That was unnecessary." He hissed.

"What?" Anakin huffed resting his chin on Obi-Wan's shoulder, arching a brow at him, "It feels like everyone under the stars is trying to get with you. We just got here!"

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, "It's been happening since I was 15, Anakin." He offered a sly smirk.

Anakin frowned, puckering his lips petulantly. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes again and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek; "Come on, it wouldn't do us good to keep Padme waiting." 

When they found Padme, they were escorted immediately to the Lake Country. Obi-Wan hadn't spent an extensive amount of time on Naboo, he had done brief negotiations with the Trade Federation, had stopped on the planets surface for less than a second when they were over, before being carted off to the Teth system for some much needed mediation between the Hutt's and some other crime syndicate that decided it would be a splendid idea to spend the lives of innocents in a war with a people who had controlled the outer rim for centuries. Needless to say, Obi-Wan gaped at the green trees, the flowering plants still blooming despite it being late spring. The humid air thick with the spray from a nearby waterfall. Obi-Wan marveled at the architecture, taking in the blue domed roof and high pillars. Even for a private home, it felt like too much. Anakin seemed less out of his element here. He had spent an extended amount of time on this planet, apparently. He and Qui-Gon had been sent to settle a dispute with the Gungan natives. Their negotiations had earned the water creatures voting rights, and it was because of this new power that Padme had been elected for her second term as Queen. The people liked her so much they had wanted her to serve a third term, but by then she had only wanted to retire.

The doctors came that evening and Obi-Wan had to hold Anakin down while they attached his circuits to the nerves in his arm. Anakin did not like medical attention of any kind, didn't like having people touch and probe at his skin. With his flesh hand, he gripped Obi-Wan's arm and gritted his teeth, cursing in Hutteese at the doctors who would hold their hands up in a placating manner and apologize profusely. When it was finally over Obi-Wan was certain that he'd have a bruise where Anakin had dug his hand into the muscle. After that, Anakin went for a nap, still rocket lagged and mildly upset with having people's hands all over him for the majority of the afternoon. This led Obi-Wan to wander the house alone, observing the tall walls and their old murals that had begun to crack with the humidity.

He had not relaxed since they left Coruscant, the Jedi Council had not wanted to send Obi-Wan to Naboo, insisting he spend time with his battalion and prepare for war. He felt a spike of cold at the memory. _Had he not fought enough?_ In the span of less than two days, he killed a Sith lord, faced his old master and took part in the first battle of a war that already felt like it was never ending. He was leaning on the balcony over the lake, his expression pinched as he hung his head. It was like he was made to suffer, it must have been his lot in life.

There was a presence behind him and he turned around to see Anakin, bare chested with his arms crossed, leaning against the door frame. His expression was neutral, deceptively mild in a way that made Obi-Wan quirk his brow.

"What is it, Anakin? You're not in pain are you?" Obi-Wan asked, furrowing his brows as he swept his eyes up and down Anakin's lanky form.

The younger man shrugged, pushing off the door frame and going to him; "No, nothing like that." He murmured, invading Obi-Wan's space, leaning forward and resting his hands on the railing on either side of Obi-wan. 

Obi-Wan blinked down at Anakin's chest and slowly raised his head to meet his gaze, his eyes flicking momentarily down to his lips; "Anakin, you're suppose to be resting."

"I know." Anakin murmured, tilting his head, "But I told you that I don't want to be alone."

Obi-Wan scoffed and looked away. He felt a blush creeping up his neck and forced it down. Now was not the time, " _Anakin_ ," He drawled out, gently putting a hand on the younger man's cheek, softly thumbing under his eye, "You don't need me to help you rest."

Anakin gently took his wrist and pulled Obi-Wan's hand back, kissing the palm and watching Obi-Wan's eyes as he did. The older man pressed his lips together, feeling a tightness slowly begin to coil in his gut. He wasn't used to this. He wasn't used to soft touches and looks longer than seconds. He wasn't used to Anakin slowly kissing down his palm to his wrist, pulling Obi-Wan closer, his eyelashes long and almost girlish as they fluttered over half lidded eyes. Obi-Wan wasn't used to the way Anakin's lips brushed softly over his, then at the corner of his mouth to his cheek, to his ear and the slowness of it all made him swallow thickly. Had Anakin always been like this? He wondered, distantly, if he had misjudged the younger man, a shuddering breath falling off his lips when Anakin pressed a kiss to the pulse point on his neck.

"Anakin." He breathed out a warning and the younger man pulled back, watching him for a moment, a cocky grin slowly cracking across his golden face.

"You look good like this." Anakin murmured softly, pressing his metal hand on Obi-Wan's chest, tugging at his tunic, "you're always so stoic, so serene. You're such a perfect Jedi."

Obi-Wan furrowed his brows, "What do you mean?"

"I mean nobody would ever suspect you for anything. You're too good, Obi-Wan. You're perfect."

Obi-Wan scoffed, "I'm most certainly not." He said vehemently, "We've talked about this, Anakin. Just because I know what I'm doing doesn't mean I'm-"

Anakin's lips were on his, silencing him and he huffed, falling back into the man's orbit, kissing him slow. This was different from the times they were in their apartments at the temple. This felt like it had intent behind it. Obi-Wan wondered, distantly, if this was what love was meant to feel like. He hadn't felt anything like it before. It was dusk when Anakin pulled Obi-Wan into the room he would be staying in, pressing him against the wall and kissing him hard, desperate for something, anything. He wanted to forget about the war, forget about his metal arm that glinted in the waning sunlight. He wanted to have some semblance of control over his life, his destiny, he was so lost, the only thing keeping him tethered to reality was Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan didn't know what to do about it, didn't know what it meant to be someone's rock, someones center. He had wanted it since he met Satine, since she had rejected him, since he slept with Quinlan only to find out that Quinlan wasn't interested in it, only to find out the Siri wasn't about to throw the order out the window for him like he so desperately wanted to do for her. But Anakin didn't mind. Anakin touched him slowly, delighting in the little noises Obi-Wan made when he started falling apart in the younger mans arms, stripped him of his decency and laid him on his back. He'd gotten better with his hands, with his dick, and he had so much to give Obi-Wan it made him want to cry, but Anakin would stop and press kisses to his cheek when a sob would threaten tears. Slow down and tell him it's okay. When they were finished, they stayed together on the bed, tangled up in each others limbs despite the unbearable humidity that surrounded them. 

"I want to marry you." Anakin said in a hushed voice, sleepy from the afterglow of sex, "want to have you all to myself."

Obi-Wan scoffed, staring at the ceiling, "Anakin. This is enough." He murmured.

"We've already forsaken our vows by admitting we love each other." Anakin said, stretching his metal arm up. Obi-Wan watched the way the metal caught the glint of the moonlight, "I couldn't imagine myself with anyone else but you. Not anymore. I want you to be my future."

Obi-Wan was quiet for a long moment, "You don't know what you're talking about." He said finally, rolling onto his side so that he could see him better.

Anakin turned his head, watching him, "I think I do. I know what I want." He brought his metal hand down and gently pushed Obi-Wan's hair back, "Do you know what you want?"

Obi-Wan was quiet for a long moment, closing his eyes and reveling in the feeling of Anakin brushing his fingers through his hair; "No..." He said finally, feeling that strange emptiness, that abyssal darkness that whispered to him like a siren's song, "I guess I don't." 

###

"How is your new arm treating you, my dear boy?"

Anakin was slowly pressing each one of his mechanical digits against the pad of his metal thumb. His visits with the Chancellor had become rather scarce, much to his displeasure. He looked up now to observe the older gentleman, his eyes sunk into his skull, the creases that cut along his face were sharp and deep. He had his elbows on his desk and his hands pressed together in front of his mouth, his brows drawn together in concern. Anakin only shrugged to him, raking his flesh hand through his curls and letting out a long sigh.

"I would much rather have an arm of flesh." He joked, continuing to test the dexterity of the metal appendage before crossing his arms and leaning back.

Chancellor Palpatine let a small smile touch his lips; "It is a shame. But you seem to be getting along just fine." He paused for a moment before leaning forward on the desk, "It hasn't damaged your connection to the force, has it?" wearily, his eyes drawn to the shiny metal.

Anakin shifted so that his flesh arm was over it and scowled, "Not that I'm aware of." He murmured, "I haven't really had the opportunity to test it out. I've been too busy going over briefings." He huffed out then winced, "Ah, I mean no disrespect."

Chancellor Palpatine waved his hand noncommittally, "Oh, none taken, my dear boy, I'm just glad you're up and about. I heard your rehab on Naboo was quite extensive."

Anakin closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about the lake house that Padme let him and Obi-Wan stay in. He thought about the older padawan, stoic and calm, and curious too. After the Siege of Theed, the country had been thrown into disarray, the government working over time to get a handle on the crisis. The Queen of Naboo had been found in a secret underground bunker, along with the rest of the palaces staff. They were still rattled by the presence of the battledroids, and even more rattled when they learned that a war had begun. Padme had visited them once when they first arrived to the lake house, to help them get situated, but it lasted for less than a blink before she was whisked away back to Coruscant, back to the Senate where she scrambled for purchase against the Chancellor's emergency executive power. Over a comm, she lamented over her concerns about Palpatine's seemingly endless reign of power. Anakin didn't understand what her problem was. From his point of view, Chancellor Palpatine was best fit for the position. He was clever, wise, a good mentor and an impactful leader. There was no one better to lead the galaxy to war.

"Anakin, are you quite alright?" The chancellor's voice snapped Anakin from his thoughts and he huffed a laugh.

"Sorry, your excellency, I was just thinking." 

"You seem to be thinking quite a lot recently. Is the war already getting to you?"

"It's not that, your excellency." Anakin mused, looking towards the window. 

Obi-Wan was probably at the Jedi Temple now, or with Commander Cody at the shipyard. Anakin already missed having the older man all to himself, it took everything he had not to grab Obi-Wan by the collar during briefings and drag him off to some quiet place so that they could have just each other. If only for a moment. Being on Naboo with Obi-Wan had been heaven. He had been rather distant at first, of course, Obi-Wan had been reluctant to go with him in the first place, but he warmed up considerably after the first night. Anakin remembered waking to an empty bed, throwing on a robe and wandering around the home until he found Obi-Wan in the study, looking through some old flimsi bound books. They stayed up all that night, Obi-Wan detailing the volumes of books he had scoured over and the books he wanted to read while they were there and Anakin was recuperating. He missed the way his eyes dropped a bit, his fringe falling in his face as it grew out form that stupid regulation haircut. There were the beginnings of a scratchy mustache over his lip and a beard on his chin which Anakin wasn't sure if he liked yet or not. It felt like Obi-Wan was trying to hide his youth behind his facial hair.

Anakin blinked, realizing he had become caught up in his thoughts again and flushed darkly. It made the Chancellor grin, shaking his head with a chuckle; "My dear boy, I don't know what to make of you sometimes."

Anakin laughed lightly, rubbing his neck, "Forgive me, sir, I'll try to stay in the present." He huffed.

"Did something happen while you were away on Naboo?" The Chancellor asked curiously, quirking a brow at him.

Anakin bit his lip and looked down. Should he tell the Chancellor? He wondered what Obi-Wan would say about it, he knew the older man was less than impressed by Chancellor Palpatine. But it wouldn't hurt, would it? Anakin didn't want to keep it a secret from everyone.

"Something did happen on Naboo." Anakin said slowly, carefully, "With Obi-Wan."

That made the Chancellor's brows raise up in surprise; "You don't mean that Padawan you scuffled with, do you? He didn't hurt you in any way, did he?"

"No, no, nothing like that!" Anakin said hurriedly, feeling the blush crawl up his cheek again, "And he's not a Padawan anymore. He was knighted the same time I was." He took a moment to collect his thoughts, find the words so he could put this as eloquently as possible; "My relationship with Obi-Wan has... changed since the last time I spoke to you." He said carefully, his arms tightening across his chest, "We were married on Naboo." 

The office was silent for a long moment, Chancellor Palpatine was left staring at his desk, seeming suddenly overwhelmed and Anakin thought he might have misjudged the closeness of their relationship before he heard the man give an exasperated laugh, falling back into his chair and rubbing a tired hand over his face.

"My dear boy, when we last spoke, you wanted nothing more than to throttle him." Chancellor Palpatine said, "Furthermore," He leaned forward again, his brow quirked up and a smile playing his thin lips, "I thought the Jedi forbade attachments and relationships?"

"Well, they do." Anakin said, finding himself testing the rotation of his mechanical arm, "Which is why this conversation is happening in confidence, is it not?"

Chancellor Palpatine smiled warmly, "Of course, Anakin, I know when privacy is required." he mused, folding his hands now over his lap and watching him, "I'm more surprise that young Kenobi had gone along with it."

"Oh, I nagged him about it." Anakin said, "He told me 'if we get married, will you stop talking?' But, I think he's happy. I hope he is, anyways."

The Chancellor nodded distantly, "I suppose that is like you, my boy." he sighed heavily and stood, "I do have a meeting soon, if you'll excuse me."

Anakin stood as well, offering a short bow; "Of course. I will stay in touch, your excellency." With that, he left the chancellors office, the door hissing shut softly behind him, Palpatine scowling at his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your support! You can find me on tumblr under the same username!


	20. in which Anakin has an apprentice and Palpatine has a plot against the Jedi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a time skip! Get ready for Padawan Ahsoka!

"No no no, that's not right, Snips." Anakin huffed, his brows furrowed and his lips pressed together in frustration.

The young togruta groaned in annoyance, twirling her saber and giving her master an exasperated look; "How is it not right? I did it the exact same way you did!" She huffed, deactivating her saber and crossing her arms so that she could pout more effectively.

Anakin pinched the bridge of his nose; "No, you didn't, the rotation was wrong, if you did that in battle you'd have cut off your own leg."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes; "What do you know?"

"More than you, considering that I am your _master_ , little one!" 

"Stop calling me that! I'm not a youngling!"

Anakin raised his brows at her and gave her a look that said, _yes, you are._ It only served to make the young togruta more agitated and she threw her hands in the air, making a frustrated noise as she turned away from him. Anakin bit his tongue to prevent himself from saying anything stupid. He was too young for this, too young and inexperienced to have a Padawan, and yet Master Yoda insisted. 

_"Pass on what you have learned, you must. A privilege, it is to teach."_

Anakin wanted to smack the green master with the hilt of his saber. He watched Ahsoka's back as the young togruta kicked at her poncho which she had discarded on the floor. He could hear her grumbling through the training bond and it made him want to lash out at her, even though he knew it wouldn't be wise. He felt a presence itch at the back of his mind and his head snapped to the observation balcony. 

Obi-Wan was watching him, his brow quirked in amusement and a knowing smirk touching his lips. Anakin scowled at him and Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, descending from the balcony and approaching them with his hands behind his back. The only reason Obi-Wan hadn't been given a padawan was because he was offered a seat on the council instead. He was the youngest Jedi to have ever been granted the position, and also the only knight it had been given to. Obi-Wan was only a few years older than Anakin, and just shy of being given the rank of master. His skills with a lightsaber, his connection to the force, his unwavering dedication to the Jedi and the Republic, these were all things that the council desperately needed as the galaxy collapsed around them. Of course, the council couldn't know Obi-Wan as Anakin did, didn't know of their union, didn't know the way Obi-Wan fell apart when they were alone on their Republic cruiser after a long battle. They didn't know and would never know. It was bitter sweet really, Anakin thought, having that part of Obi-Wan all to himself.

"I see training is going well." Obi-Wan mused, offering Ahsoka a small nod when the togruta looked at him over her shoulder, her lips puckering petulantly as she turned her nose up, arms crossed as she stared at the wall.

"Oh, if you had eyes, you would be able to see how _not_ well it was going." Anakin bit back, his words clipped, the tone earning him another quirked brow as the older man shook his head.

"Have you considered that maybe both of you are doing it wrong?" Obi-Wan asked, unclasping his hands from behind his back and unclipping the saber from his belt; "You're practicing Makashi, aren't you?"

"Yes, well-"

" _Anakin,_ " The way his name rolled off Obi-Wan's tongue made Anakin blush scarlet, "you and I both know that Makashi is one of your weakest forms." 

"Right, well, if it wasn't the style that Ahsoka wanted to learn-"

"Hey! I never said I wanted to learn Makashi! I wanted to learn Niman!" Ahsoka shot back, her face flushing with indignant rage, as she held up her hand and did her best Anakin impression; "but you said, 'No, Snips, that form is too advanced for you! You'll hurt yourself!'"

Obi-Wan snorted and Anakin shot him a look.

 _"Traitor."_ he pushed at him through their secret bond, which glowed gold and incandescent between them.

Obi-Wan quirked a brow and folded his arms, "Niman _is_ an advanced form, Ahsoka, it is important for you to have strong fundamentals in order to use it properly and to its full potential." Obi-Wan said, using his council voice which made Anakin squirm a bit.

"See!" Anakin said imploringly, trying to shove down the blush that was creeping up the back of his neck.

"However," Obi-Wan fixed Anakin with a look, "A student is only as good as their teacher." 

Anakin threw his arms into the air, about to counter but Obi-Wan threw a finger up at his nose, silencing him.

"Master Kenobi, how am I supposed to have strong fundamentals if I can't even do the fundamentals right?" Ahsoka asked, deflated and completely oblivious to the fued going on between the two older knights, the force crashing around them like an ocean storm, their bond sizzling hot as they bickered.

_"Stop embarrassing me in front of my Padawan!"_

_"I'm sorry, you don't seem to get the picture any other way!"_

_"Says the man who doesn't have a padawan!"_

_"It's a good thing too, I'd have to keep an eye on three of you if I did!"_

"Master?"

Anakin and Obi-Wan's head snapped to Ahsoka who was looking at them in confusion, the white markings above her eyes raised curiously; "What's going on?"

"None of your business, Snips." Anakin snapped, making a rude noise when Obi-Wan swatted his arm.

"What Master Skywalker means to say is, we're working through some things right now." Obi-Wan huffed out, "Perhaps a demonstration would be helpful?"

"A demonstration?" Ahsoka asked, cocking her head to the side and watching them with her inhumanly large eyes.

"What kind of demonstration?" Anakin asked wearily.

Obi-Wan shrugged noncommittally, shrugging off his heavy brown robe and smirking at Anakin, "I could show you how to do it _properly_. It has been an awful long time since we sparred, hasn't it Anakin?"

Ahsoka looked between the two masters as they proceeded to undress each other with their eyes, not understanding what was going on but excited never the less, "Master Kenobi, if you spar with Master Skywalker, can you _please_ use Niman! I heard you had mastered the informal version, Jar'kai!"

"Of course, Ahsoka, I'd be happy to." Obi-Wan said warmly, though his eyes were piercing through Anakin like daggers, his voice adopting that honey sweet drip it hadn't had in years.

Anakin swallowed, jutting his chin up and puffing his chest out; "I don't know, Obi-Wan, my skills have nearly _doubled_ since we last fought."

"Twice the pride, double the fall, _darling_." Obi-Wan taunted, grinning wolfishly, "Ahsoka, if you don't mind moving to the observation balcony." 

Ahsoka grinned, sticking her tongue out at Anakin as she scooped up her poncho and made her way up the stairs to the balcony, bouncing all the way. Once she was gone Anakin shucked off his outer tunic, Obi-Wan openly watching him with a smirk that made Anakin blush from his ears to his toes. _It's all part of his game,_ Anakin told himself, _don't let him get to you._ He did anyways, of course, because Obi-Wan _knew_ Anakin more than almost anyone else, he almost knew as much about him as the Chancellor but there were just some things that Anakin would never admit to, because he was afraid that his perfect Jedi husband would leave him if he knew about the horrible things he had done. Obi-Wan's tunics came off next and soon they were on opposite ends of the mat. 

"May I borrow your saber, Ahsoka?" Obi-Wan asked, holding up his hand. Ahsoka tossed down her saber, which Obi-Wan ignited as soon as it landed into his waiting palm, twirling it idly before igniting his own saber, crossing the blue and green blades before swinging them down at his sides in the ready position of jar'kai. 

Anakin ignited his saber, offering him a smirk; "There will be hell to pay when this is over, Obi-Wan." Anakin taunted, "depending on how this ends, that is."

Obi-Wan scoffed, "That sounds like a challenge."

"You could say that, why don't we make a deal?"

Obi-Wan quirked his brow at him, "Oh yea? What do I get if I win?"

Anakin grinned, "Whatever you want."

A smile slowly crept across Obi-Wan's face and the older man dropped his head and huffed a laugh, "Oh, Anakin." _I love you._

Anakin flushed bright red, suddenly off balance with only a second to bring up his guard and parry a powerful blow from Obi-Wan who grinned at him behind the crackling light of his twin blades, "That was a cheap move!" Anakin huffed, pushing him back and twirling his saber before rushing forward, throwing a heavy blow from the top.

Obi-Wan dodged nimbly, "Come now, my sweet, what else did you expect?" and suddenly he was too close, stepping into Anakin's guard and whispering sweetly, "I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true, you know?"

Anakin's face bloomed red and he forced Obi-Wan back, breathing heavy and scowling, "You, you-"

Obi-Wan smiled innocently, twirling his blade and dropping back into the ready stance; "Shall we continue?"

They came together, almost blindingly, their blades hissing through the air as the force rumbled around them. They knew each other so well, battled side by side for so long, they were perfectly in sync as they danced around the training mat, their bond singing to life. Anakin couldn't help but let himself be swallowed by it, falling into the force with Obi-Wan, their signatures mixing together like watercolor paints. It was new and perfect and _theirs_ in a way that they didn't fully understand and didn't want to. Their blades collided and the force crashed around them spectacularly.

Anakin remembered the first night when it happened. He was on the Resolute, somewhere far away from the temple on Coruscant, he had just gotten off a call with the council and was headed through the corridors to his quarters when he felt the force hum. Then everything had snapped brilliantly into place. He couldn't see Obi-Wan's surroundings, just him, sitting on the floor as though he were meditating, his brow quirked up curiously. "What are you doing on my ship?" He had asked and Obi-Wan had responded, "Why are you in my room?" and when Anakin blinked he was gone. They commed each other moments later, trying to decipher meaning but none could be found, it just simply was.

Obi-Wan's blade came a little too close to his cheek and he had a sudden flashback to his battle with Ventress on Yavin 4. The scar that crossed his eye had been a result of his failure. He had touched the dark side there and when he returned to Obi-Wan the older knight had asked him what happened, sensing his unbalance through their bond, but Anakin had refused to tell. He didn't want Obi-Wan to know about his dark side. Anakin continued his assault, trying not to think back on his battles with Ventress, but it was hard when Obi-Wan used Jar'kai, seeing as it was the Sith acolytes preferred style. Unfortunately for Obi-Wan, it also meant it was a style he was very familiar with. 

They had attracted a crowd on the balcony and Anakin decided to up his game a bit, catching the cross of Obi-Wan's sabers and pulling him close, hooking his foot behind Obi-wan's ankle and sweeping his feet. Obi-Wan made a rude noise when his back hit the mat, eyeing the blazing blue of Anakin's saber. Anakin grinned, triumphant at last.

"Yield." 

Obi-Wan flicked his eyes up to him, full of wonder, "I give." 

Anakin deactivated his saber and pulled Obi-Wan up to his feet, there was a quiet applause from the balcony and they looked at each other before giving a dramatic bow, grinning like fools. The crowd chuckled, slowly beginning to disperse. Obi-Wan turned from them, looking to Anakin, his eyes searching as he brought his hand up and gently pressed it against Anakin's cheek, smiling; "You did well, Ani." He whispered softly, dropping his hand and stepping away, adopting his typical Jedi posture and sweeping up his tunics, folding them neatly. Anakin desperately wanted to pull him back, kiss him and drown him his ocean of love, but alas, he could not. Not here. 

Alone on the observation deck, Ahsoka watched them. The marks over her eyes raised as she rested her chin on her arms, sensing she had just witnessed something private, something that she was not meant to see. 

###

The Solar Sailer hit atmo and its glider retracted into the ships skeleton. Count Dooku sat comfortably as his droid piloted him to the industrial district of Coruscant. The loss of Christophsis and the outer rim hyperspace lanes to the Republic had made a serious blow to the Separatist forces. He had acquired a new Sith acolyte, Asajj Ventress. Young, full of spite and fueled by her hatred. She would be most useful, but he knew he had to be careful. He could not become attached to his new apprentice in the way he had become attached to Obi-Wan. He could not let his attachment lead to another failure. His starship settled on one of the docks and he departed, greeted by his master, Chancellor Palpatine, who donned his dark cloak whenever he acted as Darth Sidious.

"Exactly on time, Count." the Sith lord mused, walking with him through the polluted haze of the factories. 

"Why have you requested my presence here, my lord?" Count Dooku asked, hands clasped behind his back.

"The war is still new and green, it has yet to have the chance to syphon all the galaxies resources." Palpatine hissed, "I am afraid it will have to end soon, however, I had not intended for your Padawan to become such a problem."

Dooku felt his gut twist, his lip twitching slightly; "What do you mean?"

Before Dooku could react, he was thrown hard against a wall and dragged up against it, grasping uselessly at the phantom fingers on his neck. Palpatine glared at him with piss yellow eyes before dropping him, the old man coughing and rasping for breath, doubled over on his hands and knees as the Sith lord approached him in disgust.

"He has stolen away perhaps the most powerful force wielder to have ever lived. One who was crucial to my plans." Palpatine seethed, "You should have killed him when you were given the chance."

"I was not strong enough in the dark side to accomplish such a feat." Dooku spat back, not lifting his gaze.

"You're so right." Palpatine said, his voice bitter, "I will have to do it myself. He is far too dangerous to be kept alive. His death will be enough to break the Jedi." 

"Which Jedi?" Dooku asked, finally rising to his feet and dusting off his clothes, weary as ever, "Master Windu? Master Yoda?"

"Anakin Skywalker." 

Dooku arched his brows, "That dust ball? He is worthless. No more than a bug." 

"He is more powerful than you and I could even fathom." Palpatine turned to face him, "Which is why it is imperative for him to join the Sith. The death of your old apprentice would be enough to break him." 

Dooku was silent for a long moment, gazing hard at the floor; "As you command it, my lord." He said, "it shall be done."

"Good, good." Palpatine breathed a heavy sigh, "I have engineered a plot so that I am taken hostage by Separatist fleet. They will undoubtedly send their best warriors to rescue me. Much of their council is away in the Outer Rim, which leaves only Anakin and Kenobi to lead the attack. They will attempt my rescue, and you will kill Kenobi." the Sith lord stared at Dooku for a long moment, "do not fail me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your support! I might add an extra chapter to better explore character dynamics, but we shall see!


	21. in which Anakin and Obi-Wan rescue the chancellor and make a startling revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *finger guns* I ended up adding another chapter! :D

_Do not go gentle into that good night,  
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;  
Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

Obi-Wan gripped the controls of his fighter, Arfour beeping at him in warning as he jerked to the right, avoiding a sudden spray of lasers. To his left, Anakin was flying in formation with him, Artoo screeching in annoyance which Obi-Wan could hear Anakin fussing about over the comm. He grinned a bit, his husband did always like droids more than people. Unless they were separatist droids. He was less fond of those. 

"Odd ball, do you copy?" Obi-wan spoke into his communicator, tipping his wing and dipping down to the other side of one of the Separatist War ships. His eyes widen at the scene unfolding before him. He could not believe that the war had already made it to Coruscant. 

"Copy, Red Leader!" Odd ball's voice, distinct yet identical to the thousands of other Clone Troopers in the air, came threw the static, "We're coming up on your right."

Obi-Wan flew strait into the fray, Anakin close to the tail of his fighter.

"This is where the fun begins!" Anakin's voice came over the comm and Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

"Easy for you to say." He grumbled. Obi-Wan really didn't like flying.

His ship suddenly lurched as he was hit in the engines by a swarm of vulture droids. He cursed to himself, trying to stabilize his wings, glancing over to Arfour and cursing louder when he realized the droid had been blown in half.

"Anakin! Anakin I've been hit!" He says quickly, turning off the power and careening aimlessly towards the command ship. They had done this more than a dozen times now. Anakin knew the drill. 

"I see it, Obi-Wan, steer yourself towards the airlock on the command ship!"

"The blasted ray shield is still up!" Obi-Wan bit out as his controls started flashing red and his steering locked up. 

"Not for long, hang tight!" Anakin's fighter sped ahead of him, blowing out the side of the shield generator so that Obi-Wan would be able to get through.

His vessel landed hard and scraped loudly against the metal floors of the hangar. He quickly forced open the hatch and hopped out, getting as far from the fighter as possible in case it decided to explode. He heard Anakin bring his fighter into the hangar as well, hopping down and joining Obi-Wan with a smirk that broke into a grin, all white teeth and gums. Obi-Wan huffed at him, shaking his head.

"That was reckless." He admonished, watching Artoo eject from the fighter and follow Anakin, beeping at them inquisitively.

"But it worked," Anakin said cockily, looking down to Artoo, "stay with the ship, okay buddy?" He looked to Obi-Wan and nodded. 

They made their way to the lift when Obi-Wan suddenly tensed up; "I sense him."

"Who?" Anakin asked, his head jerking to look at him, his eyes sharp and glinting dangerously, "The chancellor?"

"No, Count Dooku." Obi-Wan murmured, his gut twisted slightly, he shivered at the sudden cold that permeated his entire being, jumping slightly when he felt Anakin's hand on his shoulder. 

Anakin searched his face, his brows furrowed with an unreadable expression; "Are you alright?" He asked quietly, their bond glowing dimly against the darkness in the force.

Obi-Wan nodded, finding himself grasping at it desperately against the sudden slipperiness of the force; "I'm fine, Anakin. Let's hurry." he murmured, continuing towards the lift

They encountered a small battalion of magna guards, but that had barely slowed them down. It didn't seem that their hosts wanted them to stay away. "This is a trap." He murmured, glancing to Anakin who pulled his saber from the guts of one of the droids.

"Next move?" He asked, twirling his saber once before deactivating it.

Obi-Wan seemed thoughtful for a moment before grinning; "Spring the trap."

Anakin grinned back at him as they began running down the hall at his side with his lightsaber ignited. Anakin always had a very one track mind when it came to these sorts of things. Obi-Wan could feel his former masters presence becoming heavier in the force, like fire closing in on all sides. Obi-Wan felt the frayed line of his training bond being pulled at suddenly, a warning sent across it that made his brows furrow. _Why was Dooku trying to reach out to him?_ He shook his head, Dooku was probably just trying to play mind games with him. He sealed off his end of the training bond as tight as he could before they came up onto the bridge of the command ship. 

Chancellor Palpatine was sat almost comically in a chair near the ships viewport, his arms shackled to the chairs armrests. Anakin immediately made his way over, offering a small bow and a smile. 

"I'm glad to see you're alright, chancellor." Anakin said, the relief evident in his tone.

"And I you, Anakin." The chancellor returned his smile before his eyes landed on Obi-Wan, "General Kenobi." 

Obi-Wan forced himself not to sneer, offering a curt bow, "Chancellor Palpatine." he said, attempting to be as courteous as possible. He never did like Palpatine and it never ceased to irritate him that Anakin spent so much time with him. He knew he shouldn't try to control the younger man, it was not the Jedi way to try and possess someone, but Force, did he hate politicians.

The force trembled and Obi-Wan whirled around, too quickly perhaps as Count Dooku emerged from the shadows, his red saber ignited, his yellow eyes piercing the darkened bridge of the ship. His expression appeared carefully neutral, but Obi-Wan felt another insistent tug at his training bond. Behind him, he sensed Palpatine shift in his chair, could sense the mans eyes narrow and his lip draw back into a snarl. Anakin turned and saw him as well, every muscle in his body tensing up, itching to fight, though he still glanced to Obi-Wan. For reassurance or permission, Obi-Wan wasn't sure.

"We'll take him together." Obi-Wan murmured quietly, shrugging off his robe and calling his saber to his hand.

Anakin stepped around behind him, leaning close to the back of his neck; "I was going to say that." 

Obi-Wan shivered a bit, tossing him a warning look that Anakin only smiled at as he shrugged off his cloak as wel.

"Be careful," Chancellor Palpatine warned behind them, "He's a Sith Lord."

"Not to worry, Chancellor." Obi-Wan said, his words clipped as he ignited his saber, "Sith lords are our specialty." 

Anakin ignited his next and in a blink they were on him. Dooku was still one of the best duelists the Jedi had ever known, his skills seemed to only increase tenfold the further he fell into the dark side. Obi-Wan held tightly to the bond he shared with Anakin, syncing their moves, fighting as one in the force instead of two. In the midst of their duel, however, he felt Count Dooku tug suddenly, forcefully at the training bond, a sense of despair, panic that he had not known before suddenly washed over him as the bond sparked to life like a live wire. Anakin's head snapped to him, his brows furrowed in confusion. In their moment of indecision, Count Dooku brought his foot up and kicked Obi-Wan back, sending him hard onto the metal floors of the bridge and into the controls. His entire body screamed in pain as he coughed, attempting to push himself up only to feel a sudden stabbing into his ribs. From the corner of his eye, he saw Anakin move attack blindly, felt their bond flare up like a supernova only to fade like a dying star as the dark side unraveled within him. The entire time Count Dooku was desperately clawing at their training bond. The feeling made Obi-Wan's head spin.

Obi-Wan's tried again to force himself up, watching helplessly as Anakin charged Dooku with his signature Djem So. The attacks were powerful, precise, yet unhinged in the force.

_"Anakin! No!"_ Obi-Wan tried to speak through the bond but it was drowned out but the swirling vortex of the force. Anakin couldn't hear him through the bond so he tried to speak it out loud, but his lungs hurt and his voice cracked, the words becoming an incomprehensible noise. He glanced over to chancellor Palpatine, noticing the older man's mouth had twisted into a small smile. His gut lurched. This wasn't right.

Obi-Wan struggled to get himself up, the pain was unbearable but he shoved it down. He needed to reach Anakin, needed him to stop. This was wrong, this was all wrong. He tried again for the bond but Anakin's end had gone silent, though he could still pick up his intentions through the force. The intention to maim, the intention to kill. Anakin had become a far superior duelist since they had last encountered Dooku, so when Anakin took the older man's hands, the guttural scream barely registering in the back of Obi-Wan's mind, it shouldn't have come as such a surprise. The sick satisfaction on Anakin's face, however, did as the younger man caught Dooku's saber and crossed it with his own against Count Dooku's neck.

_No_ Obi-Wan fell onto his knees, grimacing at the pain in his lungs.

"Kill him." The chancellors voice, genial and giddy, "Kill him now, Anakin." 

Obi-Wan's vision swam.

"Do it!"

"NO!" Obi-Wan screamed out just as his training bond with Dooku connected their minds one last time.

_"Obi-Wan, Chancellor Palpatine is-"_

The counts head hit the metal floor of the ship with an ugly thud, his body slumped over. Anakin stood over the dead man, holding the sabers at his sides and breathing heavily, his brows drawn together in confusion. It was as if he hadn't realized what had he done.

"He was too dangerous to be kept alive." Obi-Wan heard Palpatine say as his vision turned spotty and he was swallowed by the familiar darkness of his unconsciousness. 

###

They were at the temple, in the Jedi Council chambers. It was the first time since the battle over Coruscant that Anakin had been able to see Obi-Wan again. The older knight didn't look at him, his expression was perfectly neutral as he stared out one of the windows. Anakin tried to poke at him through their bond but Obi-Wan refused to acknowledge him. It might have been in retaliation for Anakin having ignored him while he had battled Count Dooku, but he had done it for a good reason. He thought it was a good reason, at least. He didn't think Obi-Wan wanted to feel his darkness unraveling and lashing out from within him. _No, it wasn't about Obi-Wan,_ he thought, tilting his chin up when Master Windu finally arrived and took his seat, _Obi-Wan can never know how far I've fallen this time._ He didn't know what came over him when he took Dooku's life. It was an exhilaration unlike any other. 

"Skywalker," Master Windu addressed him, his dark eyes searching the young knights face, "take a seat."

Anakin arched his brow but obeyed, taking one of the many empty seats around the council circle. It made his gut clench and the lines of his face deepen at the thought of what had become of the masters who once sat in these chairs. Dead at the hands of Count Dooku, or Ventress, or General Grievous. At least he had dealt with Dooku. The memory made him swell with pride and he forced himself not to smile, feeling sick to his stomach. He did not feel this type of pleasure when he killed the Sand People. He did not feel this pleasure when he dismantled droids. Why was he feeling it now? He suddenly felt Obi-Wan's eyes on him, glancing to the older knight who stared at him with his mouth drawn in a tight line. _Had he not made the correct choice?_

"Chancellor Palpatine has petitioned to give you a seat on the council." Master Windu declared, clasping his hands together tightly on his lap, "While we grant you a seat on the council, we will not grant you the rank of master." 

Anakin blinked, _What?_

In that moment, he felt a sudden swirl of rage and hurt. Was he not worthy of the rank of master? He had just killed the lord of all Sith!

"Why not?" he asked petulantly, trying to keep his voice level, "I dispatched Count Dooku, how does that not make me worthy of being a master?"

The council members glanced at eachother uneasily around the circle. Master Windu leaned forward in his seat, "Anakin," his voice was deep and understanding, "just because you killed Count Dooku does not make you deserving of the title of master." He gestured to Obi-Wan who straitened up a bit, "In case you have forgotten, Knight Kenobi has also defeated a Sith Lord and he does not bare the rank of master yet either."

Anakin pressed his lips together tightly, "But Darth Maul was the apprentice." He bit out, "Count Dooku was the master." 

An uncomfortable silence fell over the council room and Anakin realized too late what he had said, immediately looking to Obi-Wan and trying to force through the bond a vehement apology. He was not prepared to see Obi-Wan's eyes, the way his brows drew together and his mouth pressed tight under his beard. He was not prepared for the hurt that suddenly clouded the bond and made him flinch. He looked away, heat rising on his face. His attention snapped to master Yoda when he heard the green master tap his grimer stick on the floor.

"Know this for certain, we do not, young Skywalker." Master Yoda spoke carefully, "Clouded, the force is. Uncertain, the ripples caused by your actions, will be." He tapped his grimer stick on the ground, his eyes falling to the other members of the council, "Dismissed, this meeting is." 

The masters all began to stand and shuffle their way out of the council room. Anakin stayed seated, staring hard at the floor. Some of the masters came over and congratulated him for making it onto the council, some only cast him weary looks and shook their heads. Obi-Wan did neither of those things. The older knight all but completely ignored him, rising to his feet and making for the exit of the chambers. Anakin felt his gut clench and he quickly stood, pushing past the masters and running after Obi-Wan, feeling the swell of panic take over. 

"Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan!" He called out, frustrated when Obi-Wan didn't stop right away.

The older knight paused in front of one of the tall windows, the twilight rays cast gold onto the floors and long shadows onto walls of the temple. Obi-Wan didn't turn to look at him and Anakin was left staring at his back, trying to catch his breath. 

"Obi-Wan, I didn't mean what I said back there! I- Why are you ignoring me? What did I do wrong?" He asked, his voice shook as he tried to grapple with his control over the force so he didn't project so loudly. 

Obi-Wan didn't respond, tilting his head up to stare at the ceiling before turning to face Anakin. Anakin flinched, noticing that tears pricked the corner of the older mans eyes, his freckled face was blotchy red.

"You are the most flippant and disrespectful person I have ever met." Obi-wan finally breathed out, "Not only did you embarrass me in front of the council, you embarrassed yourself. Do you have any idea how foolish you looked?" He asked, his words sent Anakin reeling back in the force.

"I-I don't understand." Anakin said, his voice wavering. The chancellor seemed to think he was right in his thinking, had agreed that the council had been holding him back, had agreed that he should be honored for his service to the Republic. He hadn't expected Obi-Wan to side with the council. Why didn't Obi-Wan agree with him?

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said, pausing as a group of younglings passed by, whispering as their creche master hurried them along. He took a deep, calming breath before fixing Anakin with a look; "Do you think I'm unworthy of being a master?" he asked quietly.

The way he said it made Anakin's heart ache, he looked away, "No, that's not- that's not what I was trying to say." He said quietly.

"Then what were you trying to say?" Obi-Wan asked, stepping closer to him.

Anakin let out a shaky breath; "I don't know, okay? I was just, I was just-"

"Angry?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, "Angry that they didn't give you what you wanted? Angry that they didn't think you were ready to be named a master because your feelings got in the way of our mission, which was to _capture_ Count Dooku and question him?"

Anakin swallowed thickly, "Obi-Wan, he hurt you! What did you want me to do?"

"Anything but kill him!" Obi-Wan snapped, "You could have cut all four of his limbs off for all I care! We needed him _alive_ Anakin!"

"NO!" Anakin snapped back, feeling his anger rise at the back of his throat, " _You_ needed him alive! You're still attached to him! And people say I have a problem!" 

Obi-Wan suddenly grabbed Anakin by the collar of his tunic and yanked him down, there was a crack in his shielding and Anakin flinched at the sudden and overwhelming push of Obi-Wan's rage through the bond; " **How. Dare. You.** " he hissed out quietly before shoving Anakin back, his lip curled, "I couldn't care less that he's dead, Anakin, he was once my master but he has no hold over me. I fought him just as hard as you did." he took a deep breath, turning away from the younger knight; "It is interesting that you mention attachment though." 

Anakin was rubbing his neck, staring at the floor; "And why is that?" he spat out, still trying to come to terms with just how angry Obi-Wan was now that he had opened the bond again, their signatures didn't blend together as smoothly as they once did.

"When we were fighting, just before you decided to behead him, Count Dooku pulled at our old training bond." He tossed Anakin a look over his shoulder, his eyes cold, "Do you have any idea of what he said to me?"

Anakin frowned, shaking his head slowly.

"He said ' _Obi-Wan, Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord._ "

_Though wise men at their end know dark is right,_  
_Because their words had forked no lightning they_  
_Do not go gentle into that good night._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your support!


	22. in which Anakin confronts Palpatine

_Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright  
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,  
Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

"Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord." 

_"That's not true!" He had bit out._

_Obi-Wan looked at him, exasperation written all over his face, "Whether it is true or not is left to be said. Master Windu intends to do a thorough investigation regardless."_

_Anakin recoiled, "You told them?"_

_"Of course I did, Anakin! This is a serious accusation!" Obi-Wan snapped at him, "Do you realize what this could mean? For us? For the Republic? Anakin, this entire war would be a farce! Millions of lives needlessly destroyed, resources run into the ground!"_

_"You could be charged with treason! Executed!"_

_Obi-Wan's lips had drawn into a tight line, "Then so be it."_

The words swim around Anakin's conscious as he hurries through the temples long hallways and winding corridors. Other masters and knights attempt to greet him but they're blown off unceremoniously as he pushes passed the temple guards and makes his way down the grand staircase. _It was impossible,_ he had thought.

"Master Skywalker!" 

Anakin slowed to a stop at the base of the stairs, looking over his shoulder to see Ahsoka running after him. She skidded to a stop a few steps above him, her eyes wide and wild.

"Master Skywalker, what's going on? What's wrong?" She asked as gently as she could, slowly descending the last few steps.

Anakin frowned at her, shaking his head, "Not now, Snips." 

"Anakin." Ahsoka said firmly and Anakin snapped his head to her, somewhat offended. Ahsoka just arched her brow at him, the white mark above her eye raising almost comically; "Master. Skyguy. Come on, you can talk to me. What's going on?"

"It's nothing, Snips. Go back to the apartment." Anakin said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Ahsoka frowned, "Where are you going?"

Anakin paused for a moment, folding his arms over his chest, "I'm going to see the chancellor. Now go back to the apartment." he hissed out, feeling unusually hostile.

Ahsoka flinched, her brows furrowing together as she took a step back. Anakin realized, belatedly, that the force around him had turned frigid. He shook his head and attempted to take a deep breath, dropping his shoulders and looking back to Ahsoka, pleaing to her with his eyes for her to just go. 

"I'm sorry, Ahsoka, there's just- There's something that I have to do." Anakin said quietly. He couldn't rely on anyone but himself. Obi-Wan wasn't going to help him and he didn't want to put Ahsoka at risk.

"Master, you don't have to do this alone! Let us help you!" Ahsoka said quietly, her voice strained, "Let me help you."

"How do you know anything about this?" Anakin snapped, his lip curling back into a smile.

"Master Kenobi told me." Ahsoka said, folding her arms over her chest, "He just wants to help you, master! Like I do!"

"No, he doesn't! You don't know anything about this! About us!" Anakin spit out, turning away from her.

Ahsoka was quiet for a long moment, "Yes, I do Anakin."

Anakin's lips twisted and he stormed off towards the docking platform, hailing a speeder and quickly departing. Ahsoka swallowed thickly, watching him disappear into the distant space lanes before she turned and ran back up the temple steps, her heart pounding hard against her ribcage. She needed to find Obi-Wan. She needed to tell him what happened. Instead, she ran smack into Master Windu, nearly toppling over. The dark master looked down on her, his expression particularly stormy as his brows drew together. He offered her a hand and helped her up.

"Why are you in such a hurry, Padawan Tano?" Mace asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing.

"Uh, it's nothing, Master Windu, everything's fine." Ahsoka tried, awkwardly rubbing her arm and bouncing on her toes, "I do really need to see Master Kenobi though, so if you would excuse me-"

"Why do you need to see Master Kenobi?" Mace interrupted, folding his arms over his chest, "Is this about Skywalker?"

Ahsoka bit her lip, "It might be." 

"Padawan." Mace said firmly, leaning down so that he was level with her, "It would suit you best to tell me the truth about what's going on here."

###

"Hey- Hey! Kid, we're at your stop." 

Anakin was jolted from his thoughts, shaking his head as he stepped out of the speeder and paid the cab driver. Anakin took in a deep breath, looking up to the domed senate building. Chancellor Palpatine should be there, should be in his office. The senate meetings had become shorter and shorter as time went on, decisions were made more frequently by the Chancellors executive power than by useless squabbling of senators. It was efficient, or at least Anakin had thought so, and efficiency was good. He made his way to the grand archway, entering the cooled air of the foyer, nodding to the senate guards as he went. He knew most of them by name, knew his way around the senate halls, which office belonged to which senator. His heart was beating too fast as he made his way up to the chancellors office, passing by darkened windows as night fell upon Coruscant.

Once he arrived, he entered without buzzing, praying that the chancellor wasn't in the middle of some very important meeting. He wasn't. Chancellor Palpatine was sat in his throne like desk chair, behind a massive black desk, surrounded by his red walls and luxurious furniture. He arched a brow when Anakin entered, noticing the young mans sweaty brow and ragged breath as he rose to his feet, his brows furrowing together.

"My dear boy, is something the matter?" He asked cautiously, slowly stepping around his desk. 

Anakin dipped his head in apology, his face flushed. This was stupid. It was impossible, there was no way that it was true; "Your excellency, forgive me for the intrusion." He said breathlessly, "I have something to discuss with you. It's urgent."

Chancellor Palpatine nodded slowly, opening his arms up as if he were trying to approach a frightened animal, "Of course Anakin, what is the matter?" 

Anakin took a deep, calming breath. The chancellor was his friend, he reminded himself. There was no need for him to be worried. The council and Obi-Wan were just planting seeds of doubt in his mind, like they always did.

"Obi-Wan," he began, fumbling for words, remembering the consequences of his husbands accusation, "he told me that Dooku spoke to him through the force while we were on the Invisible Hand." Anakin said, choosing his words carefully.

The Chancellor frowned, stopping in front of his desk. He seemed thoughtful, "I see. And what did Count Dooku say?" he asked, picking up one of his desk ornaments and inspecting it in his hand.

Anakin swallowed tracked the movement with his eyes, noticing that something was off in the force, "Well, he implied that a Sith lord was controlling the senate." Anakin said slowly, trying to itch the obvious scratch. 

Chancellor Palpatine said nothing, his expression completely neutral as he set down the ornament, the force around him giving no indication to his feelings or intentions; "Did he? Now that is preposterous." the old man huffed, pausing for a moment before asking quietly, knowingly, "Did he mention who the Sith lord would be." 

Anakin felt his hand twitch. Something about the way the Chancellor was speaking, how he wasn't panicking or rushing immediately to begin an investigation. Something about how the force around him was strange and unclear, like it was covered by some sort of blind spot. Anakin took a step back, his brows knitting together as his heart doubled its pace.

"He might have." 

Chancellor Palpatine arched his brow, taking a step towards Anakin as he backed away, "My dear boy, you look as if you've seen a ghost." A harmless smirk played across the old mans lips as he tilted his head, "Don't tell me that Kenobi believes me to be the Sith lord. Such claims are treasonous in nature. They could upset the delicate order that our Republic is built on." 

"I'm well aware of that, your excellency, which is why we _should_ push for an investigation." Anakin tried, taking another step back. _It was impossible._

"It would have to be a private investigation." The chancellor hummed, "Kenobi will have to be taken in for questioning." 

Anakin blinked, "Uh, actually, I don't think that is necessary." Anakin said hurriedly, trying to back track, "I mean, it was just an offhand comment. It's not like he knows anything." 

"My dear boy, were you not just saying we should be investigating?"

"I did, but-"

"Anakin," Anakin froze, his eyes widening as the chancellor approached him, still smiling serenely as though he were completely oblivious to his panic, "did you know how poor you are at shielding yourself in the force."

It was instant, thoughtless really. Anakin called his saber to his hand and ignited it. The familiar weight brought him some peace of mind. He was a young Jedi in his prime. He could take an old man like Palpatine. The chancellor didn't move, only looked down to Anakin's blade and sighed exasperatedly, shaking his head.

"My dear boy, what in the galaxy do you think you're doing?"

"Are you or are you not a Sith lord?" Anakin demanded, gritting his teeth as he grappled desperately with the force in an attempt to center himself. He kept telling himself that it was impossible, he would have known if Palpatine had been a Sith lord. The chancellors betrayal would cut too deep, would called into question everything he had done, all the mistakes he had made. The dark side of the force was quick to overwhelm him, turning the air frigid and wrapping him in a cold embrace. 

Palpatine scoffed, "Does it matter?" he asked, arching his brow, "with how dark your force signature is, I can't believe Master Windu hasn't put a saber to through your gut." 

Anakin blinked, furrowing his brows when the realization hit. He had never been good at shielding. If Palpatine could sense it now, had the other Jedi sensed it? Had Obi-Wan? If so, why hadn't they done anything? Anakin shook his head, raising his saber defiantly.

Palpatine just continued watching him, unfazed as he stalked around in a slow, deliberate circle; "What good is the Jedi council if they can't see their enemy right in front of them?" 

Anakin turned, keeping Palpatine in his line of vision, "You're obviously shielding." Anakin said flatly.

Palpatine chuckled, "That's a flimsy excuse. Even if I am shielding, look at you! You're practically dripping with the dark side, my boy." Palpatine paused, glancing to Anakin from the corner of his eye, "The Jedi obviously suspect you to be a greater threat than me. You're wondering why they're not investigating me, why aren't they investigating you?" 

"They don't know." Anakin grit out, "They don't know about me." 

"You said Obi-Wan Kenobi told you I was a Sith Lord?"

"I didn't-"

"Why wouldn't Obi-Wan have told the Council? It seems like the obvious thing to do. And if he told the Council about me, why wouldn't he tell them about you?" Palpatine asked smugly, "Whose side is he really on?"

Anakin lowered his saber, staring at Palpatine as he considered his words. It hadn't crossed his mind, whether Obi-Wan had told the Council about the Chancellor or not. And if he did, why weren't they doing anything? His head split with an awful headache as he tried to fit it all into his tidy little box. Where the Jedi and the Republic were good and the Sith and the Separatists were evil. But there were too many cracks, too many holes in his understanding, all of it becoming jumbled nonsense. The line between good and bad seemed to blur together.

"Consider this, Anakin," Palpatine said genially, "If the Jedi really wanted to end the war, they would have done so by any means necessary."

"That's not the Jedi way." Anakin bit out.

"Does it matter? It would have saved countless lives. It would have been the right thing to do, this is a war after all, but the Jedi refused to adapt, and people died because they refused to adapt." Palpatine shrugged, "it doesn't matter what side you're on, my boy. History will be written by the one who wins." Palpatine's smile twisted into something gruesome, "And I do believe I am winning." 

Anakin looked down. Perhaps... Palpatine was right. Ever since he was ten years old, he had lived by the Jedi Code. Eight years later he met Obi-Wan, someone he grew to love and cherish deeply. Someone who he'd kill for. Someone who he'd die for. He wondered if Obi-Wan would do the same. He wondered if Palpatine was right about the war. He wandered if it really didn't matter at the end of it all. 

_It matters._

Anakin blinked, feeling as if he had suddenly fallen into a rip in space and time. It was as if the force itself was speaking to him. 

_It matters what side we choose._ It was Qui-Gon's voice, Anakin realized, _We don’t turn toward the light because it means we will win. We turn toward it because it is the light. Anakin, you mustn't take the quick, and easy path. For that is the path to the dark side._

"You're wrong." Anakin says quietly, lifting his saber again with renewed determination, "You're wrong about him. About the Jedi."

Palpatine was no longer smiling. A sneer had been drawn over his lip.

"Chancellor Palpatine, in the name of the Galactic Senate and the Jedi Council, you are under arrest for your crimes against the Republic."

For a moment, all was still. Then the force roared, caving in around itself into an abyssal darkness. Palpatine called his saber to his hand, igniting its red blade, "It's treason, then." He hissed out, launching into the air and bringing his saber down hard against Anakin's blade.

Anakin struggled to defend against Palpatine's powerful blows. He severely underestimated the old man's abilities. There was no rhythm to his attacks, no pattern, it was mindless chaos. Anakin was barely able to keep up with strikes he recognized from what little he saw of Master Windu's Vapaad. Which meant Palpatine was using Juyo, the form he knew nothing about and didn't know how to defend against. Anakin pushed back Palpatine's saber and threw one of the luxurious sofa's at the old man using the force. Instead of dodging, Palpatine just cut it in half, snarling and grinning with vicious delight. Anakin twirled his saber, his eyes tracking up and down the old man, trying to find an opening. He went to strike only to find himself paralyzed in the force, a horrendous scream whiting out all his senses.

"You were a fool to believe you could defeat me alone!" Palpatine hissed, moving quickly on the offensive. Anakin barely had time to react, stumbling back as he took blow after blow from Palpatine's red blade.

"And here I thought you would make a good apprentice. Heir to the Sith Empire! I was wrong. You are weak Anakin Skywalker. You can't save anyone. You can't even save yourself."

Anakin was thrown back with the force, his back cracking on the ground as he slid towards the wall. Every muscle and bone in his body ached as he hacked up blood, attempting to get back to his feet. Palpatine lifted his hand and Anakin barely registered the crackle of energy leave the Sith's gnarly fingertips. He fell to the ground, dropping his saber and writhing in pain as force lightning ripped through his nerves and burned his flesh. Purple root like bruises bloomed across his skin as Palpatine continued his assault. Anakin felt his vision begin to go spotty. He was certain he would die here, bitter and full of regrets. He would never get to see Obi-Wan or Ahsoka again. His vision went white as the pain became too much to bare.

###

Obi-Wan was in his apartment at the Jedi temple. His legs were crossed, his hands resting on his knees with the palms facing up as he meditated. He acknowledged his failure on the Invisible Hand, when he couldn't stop Anakin from taking Count Dooku's life. He acknowledged his failure when he let Anakin walk away, a vile storm cloud of hate. He acknowledged everything he failed to do, all his faults as a Jedi, and let them go. He couldn't go back in time to change them. It was all in the past. He exhaled slowly and opened his eyes, looking out towards the darkened sky as speeder lights zipped passed the windows through the space lanes. Coruscant, like any heavily populated planet, never seemed to sleep.

There was a knock on his door, and he quickly rose to his feet as Master Yoda and Master Windu entered, followed by a sheepish and very guilty looking Ahsoka. Obi-Wan furrowed his brows, clasping his hands behind his back and forcing his expression to remain neutral.

"Masters, Ahsoka, what's going on?" He asked, his expression turning pinched, "Is it Anakin? What's going on?"

Master Yoda and Master Windu exchanged an uneasy glance. Master Windu spoke first, "Padawan Tano has informed us that Skywalker was heading to the Senate building."

Obi-Wan blinked, "Why in blazes would he go there?"

"Moves darkly around young Skywalker, the force does. To the dark side, we fear he may be falling." Master Yoda spoke flatly.

Obi-Wan drew in a sharp breath, "No." He said, righteous indignation rising to meet the accusation, "Anakin would never fall to the dark side."

"He is very close to the Chancellor." Master Windu pointed out, his voice sounded pained, "Kenobi, I know what it must feel like for us to tell you this."

Of course Mace knew, Obi-Wan was aware of that. His apprentice had fallen to the dark side and attempted to take her own life because of it. But Anakin hadn't fallen. Obi-Wan would know if he fell. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the bond lay dormant. It had been quiet since their confrontation outside the Council chambers. It's absence had put a deep discomfort in the pit of Obi-Wan's stomach, but he didn't need the bond to know that Anakin hadn't fallen. He would feel it in the force if that had happened.

"I know, Master Windu, and I know that he is close to the Chancellor. But Anakin would never fall to the dark side. He's had many opportunities to, and yet he hasn't." Obi-wan said vehemently, "If he were going to fall, he would have done it already."

"Who's to say he hasn't and is keeping it from you?" Mace pointed out, patient as ever.

Obi-Wan snorted, the masters frowned, "Anakin is as subtle as a bantha in tea shop. He wouldn't be able to pull it off." 

Both Master Windu and Master Yoda were about to interject when Obi-Wan felt the force stir around him. It wasn't unlike the first time he and Anakin had been connected through the bond. It was as if the force around him became fuzzy and intangible. Then, he would see Anakin, sitting on the floor in front of him or standing off to the side or laying down with a wrench in hand. This time was different, however. This time, a blistering heat coursed over through his veins and he doubled over in pain, startling Ahsoka and the masters. Obi-Wan blinked against the electricity that tore through his nerves, despite none being there, and saw Anakin, writhing in pain on the floor of the Chancellors office. Chancellor Palpatine was standing over him, his an awful grin cut across his face, shooting Anakin with force lightning, hurting him, killing him.

Acting on an instinct, a feeling, Obi-Wan ignited his blade, catching the lightning and feeling as if he had been pulled between the fabric of time and space, the force became heavy and saturated with the dark side as he vanished from the Jedi temple.

###

The bond flared to life like a supernova, the bond between them snapping together like a life line. Anakin rolled over to his side, curling around himself as the painful assault ceased. The lightning had not retreated, however, still crackling off Palpatine's fingertips as the force swirled dark and stormy. The viewport behind Palpatine's desk shattered, sending the old man flying against the wall. Anakin sucked in a painful breath, trying to pull himself up. Standing in front of him was Obi-Wan, his confusion bleeding into the force as he reoriented himself. Palpatine howled viciously, getting up and launching himself across the office at lightning speed.

Obi-Wan blocked his attack, pushing the Sith back as he grounded himself in the force, falling into the ready stance of Soresu, swinging his blade down then up and snaring Palpatine between his two fingers; "Your excellency." he said, all false courtesy. If the circumstances were any different Anakin might have laughed.

This was Obi-Wan Kenobi. His husband and the best damn knight in the entire Jedi order. Practically glowing in the force as the bond between them rippled. Anakin thought he could kiss him. He knew he would fuck him when this was all over. Obi-Wan's ears turned red and he shot him a look.

"Time and place, Anakin!" He snarked before catching Palpatine's blade with his as the Sith moved to strike him down.

Anakin called his saber to his hand and forced himself up. For once in his life he felt completely in sync with another living being as he and Obi-Wan struck Palpatine in time. The wind ripped into the office as they danced across the floor, striking in succession, pulling back and pushing forward. It was as if dark and light didn't exist between them. As if there was only the force. Despite their coordination, Palpatine was still manic and unhinged. He managed to grab Anakin by his tunics and throw him across the room, sending him sliding into the wall. The sith proceeded to catch Obi-Wan's saber and twisted it out of his grasp, before arching his blade in an attempt to cut the Jedi across the middle. 

The blow never connected and Palpatine was thrown back with the force. Standing in the entrance to the chancellors office was Ahsoka, sweaty and frazzled. 

"I called back up." she wheezed out, lifting her green saber as Palpatine stumbled up, confused and disoriented. Moments later, a Republic gunship rose up to the shattered viewpoint, Master Yoda hopping into the office and toddling over Palpatine who stumbled back, attempting to call his saber to his hand. It flew passed him and landed into Master Windu's waiting palm as he stepped around Ahsoka, his expression pinched as he strode into the room.

"Master Jedi, thank goodness you're here, these two vigilantes-" he never got to finish as Master Windu brought his fist up and smashed it into the old mans face.

Palpatine hit the ground, out cold. For a tense moment, everything was still, the five Jedi standing together in a room torn apart by the cuts of lightsaber blades, the red and black walls marked with burn marks, no longer conveying the same power they once had. Anakin and Obi-wan breathed together, slowly rising to their feet. No words were spoken between them though they found themselves colliding, wrapping each other tightly in their arms and kissing each other hard like they meant it, the sound of Ahsoka gagging the only thing pulling them back to reality, blushing and immediately separating to opposite sides of the room. Master Yoda looked to them curiously.

"Luminous beings are we." The green master mused, tapping his grimer stick to the ground, "Explain yourself, later, you will." A battalion of clone troopers moved in and apprehended Chancellor Palpatine, dragging him away.

"This has been a dark day for the Republic." Master Windu said slowly, pretending not to see the way Anakin and Obi-Wan blushed, shaking his head, "You've both done a great service. We'll take it from here." 

_Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,_  
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,  
Do not go gentle into that good night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your support!


	23. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I cry writing this chapter? Yes. Yes I did.

_Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight  
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,  
Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

Obi-Wan stared distantly over the water, towards the little island at the center of the lake. He was on Naboo, at Padme's summer home. The sun was just starting the set in a clear sky. It all seemed incomprehensible in hindsight. Completely improbable. Though now, Obi-Wan had come to accept that anything could happen if Anakin Skywalker was present. When they revealed their secret marriage the Jedi Council wasn't quite sure what to do. Their attachment was a clear violation of the Code. He had never seen Master Windu so livid.

And yet, many of their fellow Jedi did not want to see them go, so the dark master had begrudgingly agreed to amend the Code. The vote passed unanimously and they had been allowed to stay in the Order, finally freed from years of secrecy. On the day after the amendment was made, Ahsoka was granted knighthood. Anakin had the honor of removing her padawan beads. It was bittersweet, and the young togruta cried the entire time. After her knighting and the swift reshuffling in the senate, the Republic formally ended the war. General grievous was captured on Utapau. The cyborg general killed himself while awaiting trial. With the war finally over, and Ahsoka being knighted, Anakin and Obi-Wan decided to take time away from the Jedi.

Padme had agreed to let them stay in the summer home where they were married. The senator had a lot on her plate, petitioning a new set of checks and balances and running a fierce campaign for her fellow senator, Mon Mothma, to be elected Chancellor. After the campaign was successful, she decided it was time to tackle the Banking Clan, charging them with fraud and war profiteering. The trials were ongoing and would likely last for months. Not only that, but she was also petitioning for the reintegration of nearly 200 million Clone Troopers into civilian society. Kamino was charged with unlawful enslavement after the discovery of inhibitor chips by the trooper Fives of the 501st when his brother died from a supposed tumor, which was actually a faulty chip. The chips were part of a grand scheme to destroy the Jedi, set in motion by the Clone Wars, a scheme that had ultimately failed when Palpatine was revealed to be the Sith Lord. It had all happened so fast. It had all seemed incomprehensible, even now just thinking about it made Obi-Wan's head spin. 

He heard the door to the balcony creak open, followed by the soft footfall of his husband, who came up behind him and wrapped his arms tightly around his chest. Obi-Wan huffed, craning his neck back and pressing a kiss to Anakn's temple. The younger man smiled warmly, burying his face into Obi-Wan's shoulder and breathing in his scent. They stayed like that for awhile, watching the sky turn vibrant shades of orange and red. Eventually Anakin pulled back and Obi-Wan turned around to face him, frowning when he noticed the younger mans downcast eyes.

"Anakin, what's wrong?" he asked quietly, gently reaching up and cupping Anakin's cheek with his hand.

Anakin leaned into the touch, taking Obi-Wan's hand and pressing it closer to his flesh. His face twisted in pain, his brows knitted together as he spoke; "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan." 

Obi-Wan sighed deeply, pulling Anakin into a tight hug, "It's not your fault, Anakin, Palpatine fooled us all. Nobody knew." 

"I should have known." Anakin said quietly, catching Obi-Wan's gaze and looking to him seriously, "Obi-Wan, there's something I need you to know."

###

The deserts on Tattooine were merciless, though they didn't have to cross its perilous sands on foot. They were able to rent a set of land speeders in Mos Eisley. Anakin hadn't spoke since they landed, his lips drawn in a tight line. It looked as though he were about to cry. Obi-Wan knew that Anakin came from Tattooine, he didn't know much else, though. Anakin didn't like to speak of the past, even when Ahsoka needled him about it, he would change the subject or withdraw, returning well past curfew, cross-faded from death sticks and twi'lek liquor. Those were the nights that Anakin would stay in Obi-Wan's apartment, snuggling would turn to sex until Anakin passed out from exhaustion. Obi-Wan never asked about those nights. He feared the answer he would get.

They arrived at a small moisture farm nearing the break of dawn. It was a two day trip from Mos Eisley across the dune sea. They slowed to a stop, the cold night air beginning to warm as the twin suns rose over the horizon. From inside the home, a young man climbed the slope, squinting against the rising sun. Anakin stepped off the speeder, offering Obi-Wan his hand which he took. The young man watched them, a frown touching his lips as a young woman ran up to his side. Anakin dipped his head.

"It's been awhile." Anakin managed, though his voice sounded strained.

The young man tilted his chin up, "I didn't think you'd want to come back here."

The young woman scoffed, swatting the man's arm and closing the gap between them and Anakin, pulling Anakin down into a tight hug. Anakin hesitated a moment before wrapping his arms around her, a shy smile touching his lips. When they separated Anakin cleared his throat and gestured to Obi-Wan.

"Owen, Beru, this is my husband, Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan, these are my step siblings, Owen and Beru Lars."

Obi-Wan straitened up a bit before dipping his head politely, "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Owen said back, though he was still rather standoffish. 

"Why don't you two come inside?" Beru offered, tossing Owen a look before making her way down into the compound.

Anakin followed after, knocking his shoulder against Owen's. The two men stared at each other for a long moment before they went down. Obi-Wan sensed that he was missing something as he followed them. The inside was well ventilated and cool. There was a food processor on the counter, the conservator hummed in the background as Beru offered them both something to drink. Obi-Wan was impressed by the lack of sand inside the living area. 

"Is Cleigg around?" Anakin spoke finally, holding a cup of suspicious blue milk to his lips.

"Dad died last year." Owen said simply, "Just before the harvest." he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "He said he was happy to die. He'd finally get to see Shmi again." 

Obi-Wan felt the force shudder, his head snapping to Anakin but the other man just nodded, sipping his drink and keeping his face carefully neutral.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He said quietly, "I wish... I had gotten to know him better."

Owen seemed to relax a bit at that, shaking his head, "He was on his way out anyways. He couldn't walk, if you can remember."

Anakin nodded, looking at his glass before saying, "I'm sorry to come here unannounced. I know that- I know I didn't leave on good terms."

Owen shrugged, "It's all in the past now."

Beru smiled warmly to him, "Why don't you two stay for dinner?" 

###

Snake stew was not Obi-Wan's ideal meal. It wasn't bad though, certainly not bland. Beru was an excellent cook. Anakin had been suspiciously quiet the entire day, Owen had dragged him out to fix several of the broken vaporators leaving Obi-Wan to help Beru clean up dishes. The young woman was humming a little song while Obi-Wan dried off the plates, glancing around at the nick knacks on the shelf behind the sink. He furrowed his brows when his eyes landed on a small flimsiplast photo of a woman with dark hair and eyes, a little boy held close to her chest. Obi-Wan carefully took the picture in hand, studying it thoughtfully.

"That's Ani when he was younger." Beru said, leaning over to look at the photo as well.

"Who's the woman?" Obi-Wan asked curiously, studying the boys intense eyes and furrowed brows. He looked frightened. 

"That's Shmi. Anakin's mom and Owen's step mom." Beru said, finishing up with the rest of the dishes.

"Anakin and Owen aren't related?"

"Gosh no, have you seen them?" Beru laughed, smiling lightly, "They're more different than night and day." Her smile faded a bit and she looked down, folding the towel she had been using, "Shmi died the last time Anakin was here. She had been taken by sand people. They mutilated her, beat her. When Anakin found her she had been on her last breath." 

"Oh..." Obi-Wan frowned, carefully putting the photo back where he had found it. He felt a tightness settle in his chest at the revelation. No wonder Anakin didn't like to talk about it.

"It happened a couple years ago now. Anakin came with a woman, I think her name was Padme. What happened that night... you could hear them screaming all the way from beggars canyon."

Obi-Wan blinked, "What? Who was screaming?" 

Beru looked to him for a long moment before smiling sadly, "He didn't tell you, did he?"

###

Obi-Wan left the compound, trudging up the steps as sand blew over his feet. He looked across the sand dunes, squinting against the heat of the binary sunset. Kneeling in the dirt in front of two headstones was Anakin, the hood to his robe pulled up, his head down. Obi-Wan pressed his lips together, approaching him slowly before sinking to his knees at his side. Anakin didn't say anything and he didn't look up. He just stared blankly at his mothers grave marker.

They stayed like that for a long while. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and tried to imagine what Anakin's mother might have been like. From the photo, she had looked quite young, had held Anakin so close and so protectively. From the remnants of her presence in the force, he could tell that she was a good person. Someone who loved too much, gave more than she got. It pained Obi-Wan to think about, but as soon as the pain came, he let it go into the force. Meditating away the sorrow that lingered. 

"Beru told you what happened." Anakin's voice jostled him from his thoughts and he startled.

It took a moment to slow his heartbeat, he nodded slowly, "Yes. She did."

"... Do you hate me?" 

Obi-Wan frowned, furrowing his brows at the question, "Why would I hate you?" 

"Because I killed them." Anakin said quietly, dipping his head low, "I killed them all. The men, the woman, the children. I killed everyone, Obi-Wan. Why don't you hate me for that? Why aren't you afraid of me?"

Obi-Wan could feel Anakin's heart race, could hear his thoughts begin to scramble in the force and he hesitantly reached out, placing a hand on his husbands shoulder. Anakin stilled, his mind blanking for a moment as Obi-Wan rubbed slow, comforting circles over his back.

"Anakin, was killing them wrong?" Obi-Wan asked quietly.

Anakin choked back a sob, but he nodded, "Yes. I know it was wrong. I just couldn't stop- They all knew, Obi-Wan, she had been there for weeks! Months! I knew it was wrong but I couldn't stop I- I had to- I shouldn't have-"

Obi-Wan shushed him, leaning his head against Anakin's shoulder, "If you know that it was wrong, and you admit that you were wrong to kill them, then I don't hate you." he said quietly, "Because I know that you are better than that now. I know that you are trying to be better."

Anakin took in a shaky breath, trying not to hyperventilate as he finally turned to meet Obi-Wan's gaze. His face was flushed and streaked with tears. Obi-Wan huffed, lifting his sleeve and drying Anakin's cheeks, watching the younger man's eyes flutter closed. Obi-Wan dropped his hand after a moment, looking back to Shmi's grave.

"She would have liked you," he heard Anakin say, "She always told me 'the biggest problem in the world is that nobody helps each other.' You're always helping people, Obi-Wan, she would have liked you." 

Obi-Wan smiled a bit, "You think so?"

"I know so." Anakin said firmly, pressing a kiss to Obi-Wan's temple before burying his face into Obi-Wan's shoulder.

"I love you." his voice was muffled and too quiet, but Obi-Wan still heard him.

Obi-Wan put his arm over Anakin's shoulder, gazing out over the dune sea as day became night.

"I love you too." 

_And you, my father, there on the sad height,  
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.  
Do not go gentle into that good night.  
Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all she wrote, thus concluding my first ever fanfic! Thank you for all your support and I'm glad you guys were able to join me on this little adventure!


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